Lineage of Spice and Wolf Vol 2 - Wolf and New Intrigue
by AJLKS
Summary: After leaving Ponoka, Joshua and Yue are now headed for Ruvenheigen, where her nephew works as the branch manager of the Rowen Guild. There they embark on their next journey, though it is uncertain how long their partnership will last. Along the way, more of their past will be revealed, while in the present they encounter new political, financial and medical intrigues.
1. Prologue

Prologue

As the sun gently emerged from the eastern horizon, the populace of Castle Trenni roused from slumber and emerged to begin the new day.

At the toll of the first bell, peddlers and shopkeepers promptly opened their stalls and shops, while craftsmen of various professions started plying their trade. The streets soon became packed with pedestrians, animals and wagons. Only the lazy, the rich or the noble would still be asleep right now.

Despite being the capitol of the kingdom, Castle Trenni was built with defense in mind, not commerce, and thus was classified neither a city nor a castle, but a citadel. In other words, a city contained within a castle.

An outer perimeter stone wall, thirty feet tall and fifteen feet wide, sandwiched the outer city between the inner city and the outlying lands. The outlying lands beyond the outer perimeter walls went as far as the eye could see from the tallest tower; vast undulating landscape covered in farmlands, orchards, vineyards and livestock pens. The outer city on the other hand was cramped, consisting mostly of housing apartments, craftsmen shops, markets, inns, and taverns.

An inner perimeter wall, about twice as tall and twice as wide as the outer walls, surrounded the inner city, the heart of the capitol. Within it were important civil, military and ecclesiastical infrastructures, such as the city hall, cathedral, luxurious mansions and wealthy apartments, academies, barracks, armories, stables, and grain stores. In the middle of the inner city was the home of the monarchy, the royal palace.

The royal palace was where the king and his family lived, tended by a host of guards, staff and servants. Standing eight storeys tall, it was built by the most skillful craftsmen using the finest materials, and as such stood out like a bright jewel despite being surrounded by numerous esthetic buildings.

On the fourth floor of the royal palace, within a luxurious bedchamber. Despite the early hours of the morning, its occupant was awake.

The noblewoman's calm and graceful features portrayed the elegance of a mature adult, yet retained the physical attractiveness of a young maiden. As such, her age can be anywhere between twenty five and thirty, though her real age was slightly older than that range.

Her name was Alda. She was the wife of Lord Brent, nephew of King Adrian the second. Her father-in-law was Duke Harold, younger brother of the king, and governor of Castle Trenni.

While the king was by right governor of the capitol, King Adrian was an eccentric ruler who spent most of the year away from the capitol. During spring and summer, he and his encourage toured north and east of the kingdom. Come winter they would turn south, then west before returning to the capitol at the start of spring. Before the season was over they would depart again on the same route, thus Duke Harold elected to take charge of the capitol's administration in the king's absence.

As the king's nephew's wife, Lady Alda was ranked among the most royal and most prestigious nobles in the Kingdom of Trenni. After getting out of bed, she went to sit before the dressing table and called out for her maids, who entered moments later.

"Good morning, Lady Alda."

The two maids of varying height and age greeted before approaching their mistress. As they tended to her long, silver hair using a variety of brushes and combs, Alda noticed something was amiss.

"Where is Luthred?"

Luthred was her son, and her only child. Every morning, the boy would rush from his bedroom opposite hers to greet if not wake her. Even though he was permitted to remain in bed longer, Alda took great pride that her son, like herself, automatically wakes up during the first bell toll.

The reason they wake so early was not due to discipline or habit, but rather because of their keen sense of hearing, which made the church's morning bell toll a very effective alarm to wake to.

"The young master is still asleep, your grace."

Alda blinked at the unexpected response, but did not dwell on it. Perhaps her son had stayed up late, which was not uncommon. After her maids finished tending to her hair, they brought in a pail of warm water and were about to undress and wash her when someone gently knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

Alda called out, albeit motioning for the maids to continue their task.

"Your husband. May I come in?"

Came the muffled reply. Alda replied that he may. The door opened and the king's nephew entered. Lord Brent was twenty seven years old, tall, square shouldered, and had short dark brown hair. He owned most of the apple orchards outside Castle Trenni, which he sublet and in return received monthly rent and a quarter of the harvests.

Realizing that his wife was in the midst of being undressed, the nobleman coughed and looked aside. The corners of Alda's lips rose.

"What is the matter, dear husband?"

She asked in a playful manner and motioned for her maids to pause. Whilst keeping his eyes averted, Lord Brent pulled out an envelope from his vest and handed it to her. The envelope was sealed with a familiar red wax insignia.

Alda smiled wryly before accepting the letter. It reads: to Lady Alda and Lord Brent. From Hans Lawrence, Rowen Trading Guild branch manager of Ruvenheigen. Her lips raised higher by a fraction.

"And why are you passing this to me?"

She inquired with mock curiosity. Usually when letters were addressed to them, her husband would read it first. Lord Brent shrugged sheepishly.

"It's from your brother. I won't understand any of it, anyway."

His statement was a fact. The first few times he tried, it left him more confused than the times his mentor taught him philosophy as a child. Alda chuckled softly at her husband's expense.

"Very well, I will let Hans know his writing is too cryptic. Now, will you leave, or would you like to stand there and watch me being undressed?"

She asked nonchalantly while breaking the wax seal, at the same time motioning for her maids to continue with their task. Lord Brent stiffened before hastily exiting his wife's bed-chamber.

When he was outside, the nobleman shook his head with a sigh. Like brother, like sister, he thought whilst walking away, and could have sworn he heard more than one woman laughing from the bed-chamber.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Fourteen hours later. A hundred miles northeast from Castle Trenni, and forty miles east from Ruvenheigen. The clear night sky was filled with an uncountable number of stars.

By the time Yue and Joshua finished dinner, it was late into the night when the two weary travelers went about setting their bedrolls on the hard ground opposite each other with the campfire in between them. Thankfully the weather had gotten progressively warmer the further south they went, so a thin blanket was enough to ward off the night's chill.

They had made camp in a small clearing surrounded by short trees. As such, they merely had to look up and be greeted by a sea of twinkling lights.

Unfortunately, Joshua was in no mood to do so, and he sighed whilst laying his weary body down. His eyelids felt heavy with fatigue and he feared that the moment he closed them, he would fall dead asleep. But as much as he wanted to do just that, someone was heartedly preventing him from doing so.

"Honestly, I am tired of dried meat and watery oats!"

The person complaining was Yue, his travelling companion. The slim girl stood beside her bedroll, hands on waist and her comely face twisted into a scowl. Two strands of wheat colored hair framed both sides of her face, while the rest of her straight hair fell to the middle of her back.

"But the main reason you're upset is because the wine is finished, right?"

He casually replied, and received an indignant huff in response.

"Well, wine does make up for poor food, after all."

She agreed begrudgingly. He had half a mind to remind that it was she who finished the wine so rapidly, but decided not to. There was no point in saying something that will only lead to an argument, because if it did lead to one, she would definitely have the last say.

Why was that? Well, that was because her mind was sharper than a knife. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she's actually half-wolf, the offspring of a human man and a female pagan wolf deity.

She would have looked like an absolutely normal – and very pretty – young girl with lovely wheat colored hair and beautiful amber eyes, if it wasn't for the sharp pair of furred animal ears at the top of her head, and a thick bushy brown tail attached to her lower back. Even her appearance as a young maiden was false, since she was almost twice his age.

And so, since there was no point in saying something that will lead to a conflict he could only lose, he changed the subject.

"Be patient. Tomorrow, we can buy supplies from the village ahead."

Strangely enough, Yue did not reply. Joshua was sure she would be overjoyed. He looked towards and found her staring at him with surprise. Before he could inquire what was wrong, she asked.

"How did you know there's a village further ahead?"

Oh, so she also realized that there was a settlement ahead of them.

"I saw the smoke just before sunset."

He explained and Yue nodded, impressed. He returned the question.

"Did you see it as well?"

She sniffed proudly and tapped her thin nose with a delicate index finger.

"I smelt it, the smoke from their fireplaces."

Joshua nodded, impressed, and at the same time relieved. Yue may have extremely sharp senses, but he was no novice in travelling. It was comforting to know that a mere human such as he could keep up with her keen senses.

"So, how should we go about buying supplies tomorrow?"

He asked. Yue cocked her head curiously before replying.

"Isn't it obvious? You will do it."

It was a sensible suggestion during normal circumstances, but a grimace crept into Joshua's features as he sat up with a frown.

"That might be difficult. Have you forgotten?"

He indicated his forearms for emphasis. His skin was the color of light olives compared to hers, which was a healthy pale shade of pink. The wolf-girl shrank back and bit her lower lip in self-reprimandment.

Due to his skin color, Joshua was regarded as an outcast in the village where he used to live. The inhabitants avoided him like they would a leper, but even so he endured their prejudice and eked out a living alone in a little cottage deep in the woods. His hope was to be accepted one day.

However, that hope was shattered when he was nearly lynched by the angry mob after they lost one of their children through their own incompetence.

They branded him a murderer, and was about to hang him from a tree when Yue came to his rescue in her alternate form, that is, a massive wolf. The terrified villagers fled like ants, and he escaped on her back. She then persuaded Joshua to travel with her to Ruvenheigen rather than wander aimlessly.

Eight days had passed since, and for the most part Joshua had been riding on Yue's back while she ran in her wolf form southwards, towards Ruvenheigen. Now that they were close to the city, they would have to continue on foot.

Joshua coughed gently to break the uncomfortable silence, and Yue finally looked back with a chastened demeanor. She may be demanding, stubborn and a glutton, but her heart was ultimately kind.

"Tomorrow, you will play the role of a city-girl on her way home after returning from a pilgrimage to the north. I will act as your slave manservant. The idea is that we have come to purchase supplies before continuing on our way."

He instructed, having come up with the plan in his head earlier.

Yue's eyes widened. Not because the plan was brazen or unsound, but because of the ironic role that Joshua was going to play. Many years ago, he was captured from his home country in the south and sold into slavery. Accentuating that was the snakelike scar on his right shoulder, the brand of a slave.

"I don't mind. It's all in the past, after all."

Joshua stated as a matter of fact, but her dark amber eyes pierced through his with such intensity that he looked away, abashed.

"What I mean is, don't worry about me."

After observing him for a few seconds, Yue's expression lifted, relieved he was unhurt by her insensitive words. Her thin lips then widened into a mischievous grin, revealing the tips of two canine fangs protruding from her upper lips.

"Which means I'll be holding onto your wallet tomorrow, yes?"

She stated rather than asked. Joshua froze, swallowed once, and then forced himself to face her wolf-like grin. Yue was the kind of person who could spend within one day what would last him a whole week. If he gave her his wallet, there was no telling how extravagantly she would spend tomorrow.

She laughed merrily at the sight of his horrified expression.

"Worry not. I'll only buy enough to last us till we reach Ruvenheigen."

She assured, but Joshua's brows wrinkled with doubt. It would take them another four days to reach Ruvenheigen, and a quick mental calculation of the costs of several skins of wine and an assortment of bread, dried or salted vegetables, meat and various other types of light but nutritious foods for two travelers would cost around two and a half Trenni silver coins.

However, since this was Yue who will be making the purchase, he expected the final price to amount to twice or even triple that value, if she demands the best wines and freshly baked wheat breads.

After some time, he grimaced to concede defeat and nodded. Her grin widened further to reveal both sharp canine fangs before thanking him.

Thinking that the conversation between them was over, Joshua laid down on the bedrolls and closed his eyes. He guessed that within half a minute he would be fast asleep, if Yue hadn't called him. Resisting the urge to sigh, he opened an eye to regard her across the campfire. She was also in her bedroll, but was sitting upright and staring at him tentatively.

"What will you do once we reach Ruvenheigen?"

It was a serious question, and even though Joshua was tired enough to bribe her with a skin of wine to let him sleep, he didn't have a skin of wine, and so he sat up and rubbed his naturally smooth, hairless face, at the same time thinking about the question himself.

There was one skill that Joshua had confidence in, and that was herbalism. Moreover, he had a dream. It was a simple dream, but one that most people took for granted – to find somewhere where he belonged.

"I'd like to join an Herbalist Guild, or an Apothecary Guild."

He replied quietly, and Yue nodded, having guessed his answer would be that. When she showed up near his cottage, freezing and weak with hunger and fatigue, he nursed her back to health using various herbs. Even she, who was mostly ignorant in the art of mixing medicinal concoctions from plants, could recognize his skill.

On that note, the child from the village could have also been saved using his methods, if it hadn't been for the stubbornness of the child's mother. Despite having only known him for a short time, Yue can tell he was a skilled herbalist and a good caretaker of those who are sick.

"Hmm, I'll ask my nephew to introduce you to a guild. That way you will have a better chance of joining one, yes?"

She stated positively. As much as she loved antagonizing him, Joshua knew that she had a kind soul. A few days after they started travelling together, Yue told him the reason she left home, as well as their destination.

"I am going to Ruvenheigen, where my oldest nephew works as the branch manager of a trading guild. He agreed to give me a job where I can travel."

She had said, sounding excited like a child about to embark on a great journey, before sighing and adding.

"Do you know how boring it is, living in the same place for forty years?"

During then, Joshua quietly thought that he would rather do that than be captured and sold as a slave, but kept those thoughts to himself. Back to the present, Joshua sincerely thanked her with a grateful smile.

In this world, trust was a thing very difficult to earn and very easy to lose. Even if he lived in the city for months, it would be highly unlikely for any guild to take him in, even if he ignored the fact that most would reject him merely due to the color of his skin.

That was why having a branch manager of a trading guild to introduce him was no small favor, since the words of such influential men will be implicitly trusted. At the same time, he wondered whether Yue's nephew will actually comply, since the man will be gambling his hard-earned reputation by introducing a person he didn't even know.

But suppose he does introduce Joshua to a guild who accepts him, it would be like a dream come true. Being a guild member meant he would become a citizen of the city. He could rent a cheap apartment, save money over years, and even open his own shop one day.

While he was not so naïve as to think the inhabitants of Ruvenheigen will regard him better than the villagers of Ponoka, he was confident that in a matter of time they can come to accept him.

Unlike small villages where newcomers were treated with wariness, large towns and cities generally welcomed newcomers so long as they bring in prosperity and not trouble.

"In that case, we shan't be seeing each other much."

Yue stated softly back in the present. He turned towards her when she said that. The wolf-girl was smiling lightly, yet her expression reminded him of an abandoned puppy, with flattened ears and downcast eyes.

Joshua realized that he also felt the same.

The short time they had spent together felt much longer than it really was, and it seemed strange to think that it will soon come to an end. Even so, he knew that their partnership will only last until they reach Ruvenheigen. After all, they were just too different.

"Yeah, but you are always welcome to visit me."

He assured her. Yue chuckled softly and her tail flicked once.

"I suppose. I must admit, I've grown rather fond of your company."

She stated with a nostalgic smile. Joshua felt his cheeks becoming warm. He glanced towards her and noticed the genuine smile she wore whilst her eyes were closed. What did she mean by that?

His train of thought was disrupted when she suddenly yawned wide and loud, again exposing the pair of sharp canine fangs that protruded from her upper lip.

"Mmm… I'm sleepy. See you in the morning."

She bade and flopped down onto her bedroll, at the same time pulling the blanket to fully cover her head.

He replied 'goodnight' and laid down, all of a sudden not feeling very tired. After glancing at the small campfire in the wide space between their bedrolls to make sure it was safe to leave it burning overnight, Joshua closed his eyes.

Sometime later, he heard Yue's gentle snores across the short space between them. He was amazed that she could fall asleep so quickly. Perhaps she was exhausted as well, having ran in her wolf form through most of the day.

Before, when they were sleeping closer to each other in the cottage deep in Ponoka's forests, with her comfortably on the bed and him leaning against the wall on a wooden stool, he never realized that her loud breathing were actually snores. Maybe it was due to the many layers of blankets she slept under.

Rather than being annoyed by the slightly unattractive sound, Joshua found them rather comforting, like some sort of lullaby that lured him to sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Remember, you are a city-girl from Ruvenheigen who has returned from a pilgrimage to the north."

Joshua mumbled to Yue as the two of them emerged from the forest to approach the village. It was mid-afternoon, and a handful of the villagers who had been ploughing the fields were gathered to take a break and have their midday meal. It wasn't long before someone noticed the two strangers emerging from the forest and heading towards them.

"Of course I remember. Who do you think I am?"

Yue retorted indignantly. Joshua shook his head.

"Church believers don't talk like that. Are you sure you know how to act?"

He asked worriedly. Yue chuckled before turning towards him.

"I sincerely apologize. Would this be more appropriate, Mister Joshua?"

She asked politely while wearing a most angelic smile. Joshua was taken back seeing the usually fork-tongued wolf-girl acting so humbly. If she one day claimed to be an actress or con-woman, he could believe it.

"W-well, that will do."

He stammered the reply. By then, they were within shouting distance from the villagers, so he remained silent the rest of the way. He counted two dozen men and women, their ages ranging from twenty to forty.

"Ho there, travelers, would you tell us your names and trade?"

One of them called. He looked neither the oldest nor the strongest, but seemed to be their de facto leader. People rarely come to villages as isolated as these unless they were traders or clergymen or tax collectors, so seeing a young girl covered in a long cloak with the hood pulled over was odd enough as it is, if it weren't for her even stranger companion, with his queer skin color.

Joshua's lingering concern that Yue won't be able to pull off the lie vanished when she clasped her hands together as if in prayer, and showed them the same holistic look she gave him earlier.

"My name is Yue Lawrence, a traveler from Ruvenheigen returning home after a pilgrimage to the north."

She said in a voice as if about to sing a hymn, and gestured at Joshua.

"This is Joshua, a former slave whom I hired as a porter and as my guide."

Joshua secretly wondered whether was it wise to use their real names, but ultimately decided that it would sound more convincing to deliver a lie laced with some truth, rather than fabricate everything from scratch.

The villagers' guarded attitudes relaxed a little. Encountering travelers on pilgrimage from the church-city of Ruvenheigen weren't unheard of. They even pass through remote villages such as this from time to time. And they did emerge from the northern end of the forest, so that checked out.

"Hmm, alright then. How may we be of service, Miss Yue?"

The man who had questioned them asked. Unlike the others, his expression remained cautious. That was because unlike the others, he also wondered why anyone would be travelling through the wilderness to get here?

"Our fell short on supplies along the way, and were directed by a travelling merchant to this place. So we would like to purchase some supplies before continuing on our way. Could you help us?"

The villager considered her story. If they came from one of the smaller paths to the north, it would take half a day's trek through the woods to get here. In addition, during this time of the year that path was frequently travelled by merchants carrying fur and timber, so her tale was not definitely a lie. In any case, they wanted nothing more than to barter, and he saw no reason to refuse.

'Well, yes, that would be fine. What supplies are you looking for?"

From there, Yue listed a bunch of items. Dried meat, salted vegetables, fresh loaves of bread, several types of grains and beans, and most importantly, half a dozen skins of wine. By the time she finished, Joshua began to wonder if they could actually carry everything on the list.

In the meantime, the villager's expression turned thoughtful.

"You're in luck, because we have all of the goods you mentioned. Meat, vegetables and bread will be from our own produce, and the rest like wheat, rye, and wine we have purchased from traders. However, the amount that we buy each time aren't usually meant to be sold to outsiders, so I'm afraid it won't be cheap, since these are actually our stocked provisions."

The man finished with a business smile. He was probably the village negotiator, Joshua realized while resisting a scowl. The man was acting tough in order to push up the price since he knew they had little bargaining power. The wolf-girl nodded passively.

"Very well, how much would all these come to?"

The villager's smiled widened before answering. Five Trenni silvers. Around him, the other villagers were smiling as well. At times, even simple farmers can turn into conmen due to greed.

Joshua felt his jaw slacken, since the goods would normally cost less than half of that exorbitant sum. He was about to open his mouth to protest when Yue's elbow gently nudged his arm as if by accident. He looked down and saw her giving him a look that said 'trust me'. So that was what he did, and remained silent.

As for Yue, she pulled out the wallet Joshua had given her, brought it in front of her to untie the drawstrings and reached in with her thumb and index fingers. Finally, she pulled out a bright, shiny yellow coin and offered it to the villagers.

"Will this do?"

She asked. Everyone's eyes, including Joshua's, widened as wide as the Lumione gold coin she held up.

"My, what a wonderful turn of events!"

Yue exclaimed merrily as she sat on the back of the mule the villagers had insisted on giving them. A token of friendship, they called it. She turned towards Joshua and smiled down at him.

"Whatever is the matter?"

Walking alongside the mule that was carrying Yue and their supplies was Joshua, who remained sulkily silent. The reason for that was obvious.

The two of them had just left the village. Even now, the villagers were waving and calling goodbyes to them at the edge of their settlement as the two travelers continued on their way on a dirt track which connected to the main road that will take them to Ruvenheigen.

"Are you angry because I used that coin?"

Yue asked innocently, and grinned when he shot her an angry glance.

"My, my, what intensity! But be not so irate, I will explain once we are further away."

She promised, her merry tone now gone. Her mouth was still smiling, but the rest of her expression was serious. Just what kind of explanation can justify spending a whole Lumione?

When they were far enough from the village that the villagers would have to shout to make their voices heard across the distance, Joshua turned towards her questioningly.

"What is the worth of a Lumione coin?"

Yue asked instead. He blinked a few times before answering.

"In Trenni silver coins, around thirty."

The wolf-girl nodded before continuing.

"What is the worth of this mule, and the goods it's carrying?"

She continued, ignoring Joshua's frown. Was this some sort of test? He turned to examine the sacks and skins tied onto the mules' harness behind Yue. There was more than enough food, wine and water to last them until they reach Ruvenheigen, even when taking Yue's enormous appetite into consideration.

"Five Trenni for the supplies, and ten for the mule?"

"Ah, but aren't you forgetting something else?"

She inquired. Perplexed, he turned to meet her mischievous grin. He soon realized what she was referring to, and sighed.

"So you're calling yourself a good?"

"One with a most assuredly high price."

Yue snickered as Joshua shook his head. Her demeanor then turned grave.

"Now, what is the price of being caught using a fake Lumione?"

Such was his surprise that Joshua stopped walking and stared at Yue, dumbfounded. In response, she pulled lightly on the mule's reins to stop the animal, all the while looking at him with a sly smile.

"Now you understand why I used that coin."

All Joshua could do was nod before he resumed walking.

"How did you know?"

"Hmm? My ears, of course!"

Yue stated proudly as she urged the mule onwards, and Joshua noticed the top of her hood twitch slightly.

"That coin was merely brass, coated in gold. It had taken me a long time to learn how to tell real from fakes."

A moment of silence passed before Joshua murmured a reply.

"If one of us used that coin in Ruvenheigen and was caught, the penalty will be losing one hand."

A descending axe flashed through his mind. Yue hummed affirmatively.

"No street vendor or tavern or bar will accept such a huge currency, which means we would have to change them at a money changer, and that is where it will be exposed. So, t'was best to squander it where no one can find out. As for that village, well, that should teach them the price for being too greedy."

She stated. Should one of the villagers visit a money changer, the chances of them being seized and punished immediately were slim. Most probably, they would be imprisoned until representatives from the village came to provide testimonies. As long as Joshua and Yue never return to that village, they wouldn't even have to worry about facing repercussions.

Joshua thought of the villagers, who now possessed what they believed to be a genuine Lumione that was in reality an old maid. As a rule of thumb, villages won't accept currencies with high value, and instead use smaller denominations such as copper, and a few silver coins that were used locally. The reason that village accepted that 'gold' coin was because of greed.

The food and wine were originally worth less than five Trenni silvers, but Yue pulled out that fake Lumione, which was worth six times the price of the goods. Due to their greed, the villagers accepted that coin without question, added more supplies, and even gave them an old retired work-mule on the basis of good will.

Yue truly was as cunning as she was intelligent, Joshua thought while regarding her with newfound admiration. Despite claiming that this was the first time she was travelling, she was by no means naïve or innocent to the ways of the world.

"My, I will get embarrassed if you keep staring at me like that."

Yue giggled, and turned away in an abashed manner. Joshua felt his face become warm. He knew she was teasing, but couldn't help it.

"I'm impressed. I wrongly assumed you didn't know much about the world, since it's your first time travelling."

"Well, I have father and mother to thank for that."

Yue explained, drawing a curious glance from her partner in travel.

"My father was a peddling merchant before settling down, and my mother is a centuries-old wisewolf. I learned much from their wisdom."

"I see. Then, are there any more counterfeit coins in here?"

He indicated the wallet, which Yue had returned. She shook her head.

"The other gold coins are real, and people won't be too fussed about the authenticity silver or copper coins, except if their value matches their appearance."

Unlike gold coins, silver and copper coins rust, wear out and become bent out of shape after years in circulation. The only traders who would be particular about the authenticity of those types of coins would still be money changers or bankers, but the consequence of forgery on that scale and level were minute. At most they would politely refuse to trade that coin, and that was that.

Once again Joshua nodded, she was absolutely correct.

"By the way, where did you get that Lumione from?"

Yue casually asked, since she had never heard of a job where payment was made in gold coins. Joshua had several guesses as to where he could have gotten the gold coin from, but he didn't want to reveal any of them. So he shrugged and replied nonchalantly.

"Not sure, it must have been a long time ago."

He noticed Yue's brief glance, and even noted her ears shift under the hood. Could she tell lies from truths? However, the wolf-girl did not push the matter and returned her gaze to the path ahead of them.

"Then, I will leave tonight's dinner in your hands."

Yue stated pleasantly, but Joshua chuckled at the irony of it.

"Isn't it always in my hands?"

"True, but by putting it diplomatically, it sounds more like a sincere request than a repetitive chore, does it not?"

Joshua had to agree that it did. If she had said 'you are making dinner tonight' or 'make sure tonight's dinner is good', he could complain about being exploited. However, by stating it as a humble request, it would be unseemly for him to refuse.

And so, he sighed and shook his head, prompting Yue to snicker shrewdly.

As soon as the venison and wild vegetable stew was ready, Yue fetched the wooden bowls and spoons, tail wagging frantically behind her.

By then, the sun was already half-down over the horizon and the sky was dark blue in color. Their campsite was surrounded by vast fields of grass with a narrow stream a stone's throw away, and a short distance from the dirt path.

After Joshua filled the bowl and passed it to her, the wolf-girl sat down beside him and hurriedly blew over the steaming stew before eagerly lifting the wooden spoon to her mouth. As her hood was pulled down, her exposed ears pricked up sharply, and her eyes scrunched shut while tucking her head in.

For a moment he worried if she had burned her tongue, or worse, the stew wasn't appetizing. Thus, when she looked up with bright eyes and started wolfing down the stew, he realized that it was the opposite, it must be delicious.

Joshua filled his own bowl and ate quietly beside her. Whenever her bowl was empty, Yue would pass it to him for a refill, receive a full bowl, finish it, and then pass it to him again. He estimated that for every one bowl he finished, she finished three.

Her ravenous hunger was finally sated after the seventh bowl, as she started eating at a much slower pace. Joshua got up and went to the mule tethered to the ground by a wooden spike a short distance from them and rummaged through their supplies, drawing Yue's interest. Her eyes widened with glee when he returned with a skin of wine.

"A good meal should be washed down with wine, shouldn't it?"

He offered. Yue didn't have to voice out her agreement. Her facial expression was answer enough as she gladly accepted the skin, bit on the cork to pull it out, and drank heavily from it.

By the time she passed it to him, it was already a third gone. Joshua took a small sip before passing it back to her and resumed his meal while Yue started drinking as enthusiastically as she had been eating before.

Once the food was finished, Joshua took the pot, bowls and spoons to wash them in the stream. After rinsing them in the cold water and wiping them dry using a cloth, he went to refill the mule's bucket of water.

As he placed the bucket of water before the animal, a strange thought came to mind. A mule is a crossbreed between a horse and a donkey, similar to Yue who is half human and half wolf. However, it doesn't seem all that strange to think that mules exist, since horses and donkeys are like cousins, similar to reindeer and elk. Humans and wolves, on the other hand, are like oil and water. Both feared and despised the other.

Yet when he looked towards Yue, who was drinking heartedly near the campfire, all he could see was a lively young maiden enjoying her wine. If a stranger were to appear and he told them that she was half wolf while her ears and tail were hidden, ten out ten of them would stare at him incredulously.

Just how is it possible for a human and a wolf, even if it was a deity, to mate and produce offspring that look almost human?

His train of thought was broken when he heard her calling for him to fetch a second skin of wine. By then, her normally pale cheeks were slightly tinged with red, and her amber eyes glimmered due to the campfire's glow.

Joshua had half a mind to refuse, but ultimately decided that after enduring days of hard travelling with poor food and no alcohol, it wasn't unfair to indulge a little. He fetched the second skin and passed it to her.

Yue thanked him cheerfully when she received the skin before tossing him the empty one, which he tied onto the mule before returning to sit beside her.

She un-stoppered it using her teeth and gulped several mouthfuls. Thin streams of red wine flowed down either side of her chin, down her thin neck before soaking into her blue shirt. Joshua felt heat flowing into his cheeks at the provocative sight. After six or seven mouthfuls, she lifted the skin from her wet lips and offered it to him.

"Come on, you drink too!"

She offered merrily with a beckoning grin. Coupled with her flicking ears and wagging tail, Joshua knew she was genuinely happy at this moment.

So he complied by accepting the skin and swallowing a few mouthfuls. The wine was sweet and a little too thick, but nothing he couldn't handle. He gasped with satisfaction and passed it back to her as the heat spread through his torso. Yue took the skin and frowned disappointedly.

"Is that all you had? Be not frugal, there's enough wine to last us till we reach Ruvenheigen."

She insisted and offered him the skin again. Joshua slowly shook his head as the heat spread throughout the rest of his body.

"No thanks, I am not a heavy drinker. I also prefer to drink slowly."

'Hah?' She voiced with disbelief and stared at him.

"Come now, you've barely had any compared to me. How can you call yourself a man if a maiden can outdo you at the bar?"

She teased maliciously. In response, Joshua wearily accepted the skin and drank again. After passing it back, he decided to crack a joke.

"Don't blame me, if something indecent happens tonight!"

He noted the slight slur in his speech while his eyes became less focused. Yue stared at him blankly for a few seconds, and then broke into laughter. It took a while for her to contain her mirth enough to speak.

"My, that was unexpected! Oh, and on that note, I just remembered something that lad and I were talking about earlier regarding you."

"That lad?"

"You know, that one from the village earlier."

Yue vaguely described. She must mean the one who brokered the deal.

"He's not a lad, he must be close to my age."

Joshua estimated. The wolf-girl grinned wide.

"You're both lads in my perspective."

She replied and giggled mischievously when his face soured.

"Well, you're more reliable, at least."

She didn't have to add 'at least'. He wordlessly grumbled to himself.

"So, what did you talk to him about that has to do with me?"

"Ooh, right. He was worried whether it was safe to travel with you."

A tinge of annoyance flared up in him.

"Because of my skin?"

Yue shook her head lightly.

"Nope, he was merely concerned whether an innocent maiden like me can rest at ease during the night."

She said with mock worry, bringing a lithe forearm over her forehead like a damsel in distress. Joshua huffed at the exaggerated act.

"So, what was your response?"

"Hmm? I said he needn't worry."

She answered plainly, and noticed him glance at her curiously.

"Would you like to hear why?"

Joshua averted his eyes and did not reply. However, from the moment the grin split across her face, Joshua knew he was going to regret it.

"I told him that it's not he's unwilling, but he's incapable."

His face immediately went red with embarrassment and annoyance, which made Yue laugh heartedly. She cooed to placate him.

"Now, now, I know you are a capable, healthy male. But the lie served its' purpose. The lad went as red as you and shut up about it."

Humph. Joshua huffed and snatched the skin from her, causing Yue to gasp in protest as he swallowed several mouthfuls before passing it back.

"There. I'm now going to bed before I do anything that I'll end up regretting tomorrow."

After saying that, Joshua staggered to his feet and went towards his bedroll.

Yue giggled as she watched him stumble in his half-drunken state.

"Hehe, a wise decision. You are not unhandsome, but I do not desire a human mate."

Joshua noted the sudden drop in tone and glanced at her. Even though the words she said were brazen, her expression was one of melancholy. Did something happen in the past that led to that decision? He wondered.

Since she was almost twice his age, coupled with her beauty it would be unsurprising if she had one or two human lovers before. Perhaps those relationships had ended badly?

Though it intrigued him, Joshua kept those thoughts to himself. Just before his eyes closed, he thought he saw Yue's ears droop while the wolf-girl silently nursed her drink, turning the once celebratory atmosphere into a solemn brooding one.

Joshua wanted to ask what was wrong, but in his semi-drunken state he could not form any comprehensive thoughts, and so decided to go to sleep and think about it tomorrow.

The next day, Yue had a minor bout of a hangover due to the alcohol, so they rested through the morning before continuing their journey. As for the thought from yesterday, it became faded due to the poison that was alcohol, and he soon forgot all about it. Thought thinking retrospectively, it may have been for the best he did not bring it up back then.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

On the third day, a few hours after dawn. From the top of a low hill, Joshua and Yue spotted the dense, circular gray mass that was Ruvenheigen, a stark contrast to the flat green fields surrounding it.

By the time they reached the customs checkpoint some distance from the city, it was mid-afternoon. Yue exclaimed, eyes wide and mouth open with awe as she craned her neck to gaze at the bustling city beyond the stone walls.

From where they were, queued behind a troupe of travelling performers and several peddling merchants whose carts loaded with goods, they could see bits of the massive city beyond the squat stone walls. Lining the stone walls at fixed intervals were squat round towers, each of which flying bright heraldic flags.

Being the stronghold of the church within these lands, the city of Ruvenheigen was huge. Despite the distance, they could see the massive cathedral situated right in the middle of the city like a tall, spired keep. Unlike most other cities which were run by councilmen or nobles, Ruvenheigen was ruled the archbishop, who answers only to the pope.

For those like Yue, who were born and raised in small communities where one could walk from one end to the other within half an hour, seeing such a massive city for the first time must be shocking. Even Joshua, who had twice visited the city beforehand, found himself enraptured by the sight.

Everything looked exactly as he remembered from before, from the tall bell towers of numerous churches dispersed throughout the city, to the clustered multi-storey buildings that lined the central business districts. In the middle of each district were open air circular spaces, where shopkeepers manned food and drink stalls; where poets and missionaries preached from raised podiums; and where musicians and actors performed on stages. Truly a lively place, despite being under the rule of an austere church which preach modesty and humility.

"Are you sure your disguise will be ok?"

Joshua questioned, regarding Yue's outfit with a worried glance. She wore a long oak-brown cloak that reached down to her ankles with the hood pulled up her head, over the white fur kerchief that concealed her ears. Her ears and tail were thus hidden from view, but if they were found out…

"Worry not. If they become too touchy, I only have to chastise them for being naughty. They'll stop after that, face as red as apples."

She confidently reassured before letting out a brief snicker. Joshua accepted that reply with a nod. Her lack of shame, coupled with that brazen accusation, could even make a lecher become shamefaced.

When it was their turn at the customs checkpoint, the officer on duty gave Yue a quick glance and stared sharply at Joshua before inquiring their reason to enter Ruvenheigen. Yue promptly replied that she was here to visit a relative, and Joshua was her manservant.

The manner with which she spoke, full of confidence and aloofness, resembled that of a proud young daughter of a minor noble or wealthy family. Coupling that were the fine clothes she wore and her long wheat colored hair – the envy of any noble woman –which lent her words much persuasiveness.

Perhaps coming to that conclusion, the official nodded perfunctorily before ushering his attendants forward to search them. The lightly armed and armored attendants sifted through the few items that remained on the mule Yue rode and patted down both travelers before declaring them clear.

From their neutral expressions and high efficiency, it was clear that this was customary. Following that, the official handed Yue a wooden plaque detailing they have been searched and gruffly ushered them through to the second checkpoint to pay their entrance tax fee.

"They sure didn't hesitate. Have they no respect for a woman's body?"

Yue muttered once they passed the second checkpoint after handing over the wooden plaque and paying the tax, and were directed to the final checkpoint, one of the stone gates that lined the city walls. Joshua was unsure from her quiet tone whether she was disgusted by their roughness, or disappointed by their lack of embarrassment towards her.

"They're used to searching travelers, including ones as comely as you."

He replied, and noticed the bottom of Yue's robe flick once at the intentionally unflattering remark. She then tilted her head while humming in contemplation.

"I suppose their job is to search for smuggled or illegal goods. If they get flustered, they might miss the items those comely women might have hidden within their dresses."

Joshua regarded Yue with raised eyebrows, amazed at how quickly she deduced the exact reason. The wolf-girl turned to him with a satisfied grin.

"I am proud, but not vain. Also, my father had a small run-in with this city in his younger days. He ended up smuggling gold into the city."

Joshua's raised eyebrows rose even more at that blunt statement. Smuggling gold into Ruvenheigen was an errand for fools or desperates, since the penalty for being caught was the same as being caught using counterfeit Lumione: dismemberment.

His first thought was that Yue's father must be really daring to consider such a risky ploy. However, he then recalled that her father was a merchant, and merchants were said to be willing to walk through the fires of hell and even risk death, so long as they profit in the end.

Yue suddenly jabbed his ribs whilst scowling, making him jump.

"If you must know, he did it not for profit. He was on the verge of bankruptcy, and his fate would have been to slave away in a mine, or row his life away on a ship."

The uncompromising glare, which she regarded him with, made Joshua look away and apologize. His travelling companion then shrugged as if to say it didn't matter.

After that, they approached and passed the final checkpoint, and passed under the massive stone gate that led into the city.

After entering the city, they left the mule at a stable near the gates and asked the stable boy where the Rowan Trading guild house was.

Initially, Yue's expression was one of awe as they walked along the city's stone-paved streets, taken in by the sight of so many tall and prestigious buildings. That enthusiasm promptly diminished when they entered a path that branched from the main road, and now all that remained was obvious disdain.

"You don't seem very impressed."

Joshua commented as they walked through a narrow cobblestone path across a dense housing district, which was the quickest path to the Rowen guild house. The wolf-girl wrinkled her nose before replying.

"It stinks of trash, sweat and others I'd rather not mention. How could anyone stand to live in such filth?"

Joshua grimaced in agreement. The air was indeed magnificently foul, especially so for Yue with her superior sense of smell.

"It's not too bad here. There are places much worse than this."

"Yes, yes. Let's just be away from here. I fear the next time I cast my eyes downwards I'll retch."

Yue grumbled and increased the pace. Joshua didn't have to look down to understand what she meant.

In every city and large town, districts were separated according to purpose. Most were self-explanatory and could be categorized, such as commerce, civil, and military. But there was one type of district that was explicitly separated according to wealth: housing.

A disproportionately small fraction of the population, composed entirely of the rich and noble, resided in luxurious homes befitting of their status and wealth. Rather than districts, their extravagant mansions could be found in prestigious places: on high ground, surrounded by similarly prestigious homes and buildings.

Below that, about two thirds of the city's population were wealthy enough to live in modest lodgings. Their homes usually consist of small houses or rented apartments. While far from luxurious, their districts had access to clean water and were overall decent to live in.

That left the rest of the city's poor population, who lived in cramped housing districts with little to no supply of clean water and no sewage system. As such, living conditions were generally poor and overall hygiene appalling.

While reminiscing on that, Joshua gently pulled Yue to walk on the opposite side of the narrow street. A few moments later, a pile of things-best-not-mentioned splattered onto the pavement, caused by someone who overturned a bucket of waste from a second storey window.

Yue's face cringed in disgust at the sight of the puddling sludge, before turning to him.

"Why do you look so unaffected?"

"A slave's living condition is much worse than this."

Joshua stated calmly. He noted Yue's immediate look of surprise, followed by self-admonishment. It looked as if she wanted to say something, but could not find the words to do so.

"Come on, let's get out of here as quickly as possible."

He kindly urged, and sensed Yue's trepidation fade at that. They continued the rest of the way in relative silence.

Shortly after exiting the slums and entering the business district, Yue's mood improved drastically. Compared to the cramp and stagnant slums, there was a bustling atmosphere in the air.

The stone pavement in the business district was broad and clean, and rather crowded. On either side of the road were large multi-storey shops and offices, each of them unique in architectural design and style. The building they were standing before was four storeys tall, with wide arches before the front door and tall glass windows that flanked it. A large wooden signpost above the arched doorway had the words 'Rowan Guild' intrinsically carved onto it.

"Should we knock?"

Joshua inquired as they paused before the closed doors. Yue nodded.

"You do it."

She stated without compromise.

"What? Why me?"

He protested out of nervousness. Yue arched a fine eyebrow.

"Because you are a man, are you not?"

Before he could object to such a reason, someone coughed loudly behind them. Joshua turned around and saw a man that was the splitting image of a city merchant, complete with a short gray goatee and thin lines on either side of his eyes. The merchant gave a professional smile.

"Excuse me, but may I ask what your business is with the Rowen Guild?"

It was a polite way of asking 'what are you doing here'. From the way he stood and spoke, it was safe to assume that he was a merchant of the guild. Despite wearing that smile, Joshua felt intimidated by the man who looked quite a few years older than him. Were all merchants this cold?

"We are here to see Mister Hans."

He replied in Yue's stead, as the wolf-girl remained facing the building with her back to the merchant. The merchant did not even blink.

"I see. Do you have an appointment?"

The older man asked in a tone close to scorn. Joshua realized that he was being looked down upon because of his skin. The city merchant probably thought him a lowly slave of some rich person.

At that point, Yue turned to glare at the man with ruby red eyes.

"We are here to see him, now take us there."

The city merchant was taken back by the authority in the seemingly young girl's voice and the ferocity in her eyes. But the man quickly composed himself and was about to retort when the front doors swung inwards. Since he was facing the door, the merchant immediately saw who it was.

"Mister Neil! These two-"

The man who had opened the door ignored him, and smiled warmly at the two guests who had turned to face him.

"Welcome. We have been expecting you."

He greeted Yue with a polite inclination of his head. He was the same height as Joshua, with short dark hair and possessing a perfectly calm yet composed demeanor. His crystal blue eyes then settled on Joshua. They did not look cold or degrading. If anything, they seemed curious.

"I am Neil Landt. Welcome to the Rowan Trading Guild branch of Ruvenheigen."

"Enough pleasantries."

Yue stated, and pulled a stuttering Joshua pass Neil into the building. The man promptly closed the door after they entered.

As for the city merchant who had been left outside, he remained rooted to the spot, baffled.

"You were expected a few days ago, Miss Yue. Did something happen?"

Neil inquired as he brought them towards the stairs that led to the upper floors. The ground floor of the guild house was close to empty, save for a bartender seated behind the bar and a waitress who was waiting on a trio of merchants that occupied the sole table out of the three dozen or so others around the room. All of them glanced at Neil and stared briefly at the two strangers before returning to their own business.

"Hmm, something like that."

Yue vaguely answered before turning to regard the man with mild curiosity.

"You've more lines in your face. How old are you now?"

"Hei, you are being rude."

Joshua interrupted, having grown more and more discomforted by her flippant attitude at such an inappropriate place. She responded by sneering like a defiant child. Neil chuckled at the sight.

"It's alright, Miss Yue and I have met on several occasions. I also know about her family."

He emphasized the last word, then answered her question with 'thirty six'.

"That's right. So there, drop that frown."

Yue harrumphed at Joshua and patted his shoulder in a placating manner. Who replied by muttering to himself.

The reason I'm frowning is because of your terrible manners.

"So, how is my dear nephew Hans? And what about Abel?"

Yue inquired of Neil as they ascended the last flight of stairs. Along the way to Ruvenheigen, Yue had briefly named and described her family to Joshua.

Her mother had two children, Yue and her older sister Myuri. The age gap between them was sixteen years. Of the two, Yue had inherited their mother's wolf-ness, and thus lived most of her life in secrecy. Myuri on the other hand was human through and through, and thus lived a healthy and normal woman's life, to the point of getting married and having four children. Also, as there was no son to inherit the family name, Myuri's husband married into the family instead, and took up the surname Lawrence.

Their first child was Hans. The second was a daughter Alda. The third and fourth were a pair of identical male twins, Cain and Abel. Yue had mentioned Cain and Abel were officers of Ruvenheigen's city guard, while Alda attracted the attention of a noble's son and became married into nobility.

"Mister Abel is accompanying an archbishop's entourage to Poroson. It would be another month or so before he returns."

"Ooh? Did something happen?"

Yue inquired as they reached the landing of the topmost floor. Joshua noted the hem of her cloak shift slightly, likely due to intrigue.

"Still nosy as ever, Aunt Yue."

Came a curt reply before Neil could answer. The person who had spoken stood at the open doorway at the end of the short corridor with his arms crossed. Despite having short silver hair with spiky bangs that parted on either side of his forehead, and standing almost two heads taller than Yue, Joshua instantly knew that this was Hans Lawrence, Yue's oldest nephew. Despite being aunt and nephew, by looks alone, they resembled uncle and niece instead.

When Yue approached the man with quick, wide strides, Joshua imagined it was because she was happy to see him. That imagination was fleeting, as the moment she was close enough, she jabbed the sharp nail of her forefinger into the tall man's chest with enough force to make him lurch back with a wince.

"Aunt? It's 'Miss'."

She corrected in a pleasant tone, though her eyes said otherwise. Hans smiled pleasantly instead, as if this was the norm.

"It is good to see you too."

The branch manager of the Rowen Trading Guild replied before patting Yue's head in a placating manner. His gaze then focused on Joshua, and those light gray eyes sparkled with intrigue. He then stepped back, and invited them into his study.

After everyone had seated, made introductions and exchanged mild pleasantries, Hans inquired Yue to explain her delay.

She started from how she spent – or rather squandered – all her money, her failed attempt in stealing a roasted pig, and finally collapsing from exhaustion in the snow where Joshua found her, naked and freezing. She described Joshua's near-lynch experience, how she saved him, and finally their 'contract' to travel together to Ruvenheigen.

When she finished, Hans closed his eyes. After a few seconds, they opened.

"What an extraordinary tale. I almost couldn't believe my ears."

Yue huffed proudly at that, like a knight basking in the glory of an accomplished mission. Hans then turned to Joshua with a sympathetic smile.

"I apologize for the inconveniences my aunt has caused, and thank you for accompanying her here."

Joshua deferentially replied that it was no problem. Then, without moving his head, Hans's gray eyes returned to Yue. The playful warmth behind them now replaced by a sharp, calculating gaze.

"So, Aunt Yue. Why have you come here?"

For the first time, Joshua saw Yue become nervous. Her entire body jittered while her ears pricked up sharply, judging by the two sharp tents on her cap. Despite that, her voice remained calm.

"Did she not tell you?"

By 'her', Joshua assumed it was Yue's mother; Hans's grandmother.

"She only said to expect you, and left the minor details to me."

Hans sighed while slowly shaking his head and wearing a lopsided smirk. An exaggerated show of exasperation. After that, however, he placed both elbows on the table, covered his right fist in the other hand and leaned forward so that his bearded chin rested just behind it. During then, his demeanor seemed more wolf than human.

"Again. Why have you come here?"

He repeated in an even tone, the splitting image of a merchant in the midst of an important negotiation. Yue looked straight into her nephew's sharp gray eyes.

"I want to work."

After uttering statement, her resolve strengthened as she continued.

"I left Nyohhira because I wanted to travel, and work along the way."

Hans nodded silently, as if that was exactly what he had expected to hear. His eyes then drifted over the fur cap on Yue's head, which concealed her ears, before resuming.

"You understand that you are… Different, compared to the rest of the family, yes? If people find out about your ears and tail, you will be forever hunted as a monster. If you are caught alive, you will be handed over to the church and be burnt to a stake. And it won't be just you, but everyone close to you. Including family."

Hans paused to let that thought sink in. In Joshua's mind, he imagined the agonizing screams of those condemned to such a fate, even whole families young and old, and shivered.

Even so, Yue's expression did not falter. After scrutinizing her for a few seconds, the sharpness in Hans' eyes faded and he smiled thinly.

"I see you are determined. Very well, I shall oblige."

Yue's eyes widened with elation and her mouth opened, about to speak.

"From henceforth, you will act as a messenger between the shops and stalls associated with the Rowan Guild in Ruvenheigen."

Hans declared. Yue's expression sank faster than a rock sinking in water.

Hans hummed to himself approvingly, totally ignoring her reaction.

"It is safe. You get to travel about the city, and do honest work."

He stated, then reached towards a stack of folded parchment for a blank sheet.

"Give me a moment to authorize this."

"W-wait! Surely you aren't serious!"

Yue stuttered. Her nephew looked up whilst scribbling away on the paper.

"Surely, I am."

Yue's face turned red with fury and she exclaimed.

"I refuse! I want to travel far and wide, not just within this-"

Neil coughed gently with a placating smile to interrupt her outburst.

"Miss Yue, please understand that Mister Hans is doing this for everyone's best interests. It is dangerous to travel alone, even if you act in the name of the guild."

"I haven't left the confinement of home to be confined in a city!"

Yue protested and shook her head, causing long strands of her wheaten hair to swish wildly. Hans sighed deeply and turned to Joshua, once again ignoring Yue.

"And what of you, will you return home after this?"

Yue's bluster immediately vanished, and her eyes widened as if she had forgotten something very important. Before Joshua could even open his mouth to reply, she cut him off.

"Ah, I didn't mention it before, but I have another favor."

She stated, once again drawing Hans' attention.

"I'd like you to recommend him to an apothecary or herbalist guild."

That made her nephew's hand stop writing, while his brows arched.

"You are asking me to recommend a person I know nothing of?"

"He's a fantastic herbalist! If it wasn't for him I would have died from starvation and exposure!"

Yue rebuffed adamantly.

"Even fools know how to save a starving person that is freezing to death."

Hans calmly replied, his eyes momentarily switching from Yue to Joshua as if to say 'please don't take offense' before returning to her.

Yue opened her mouth to retort, but could not find the words to do so. Everything her nephew had said was correct, and he now remained silent while waiting for her response. She started to say something, anything, but the words died in her throat with a choking sound. Finally, her shoulders slumped, and she hung her head in defeat.

Neil, who had been silent throughout the exchange, now coughed.

"Mister Joshua, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

The city merchant asked, kindly beckoning him to speak. At that point, Hans's gaze shifted to the olive-skinned man, neither speaking nor writing. Yue straightened her back and turned to him supportively.

An encouraging city merchant, a shrewd guild manager and a concerned half-wolf. The situation was so bizarre that Joshua forgot how to feel nervous.

"I learned the art of mixing herbs and brewing medicine from my home country in the far south. Since coming to the north, I've familiarized with most of the plants and herbs that grow here."

"Excuse my interruption, and I apologize for asking so crudely, but are you a former slave?"

Neil stated rather than asked, his tone as polite as possible. From the appreciative gaze with which Hans glanced at the other man, Joshua guessed that the merchant was asking on behalf of his superior.

Yue, whose fangs were bared, was about to snap angrily at Neil's direct yet insensitive choice of words when Joshua raised a hand to hold her back.

"Yes, I am. My home country was invaded by the Kingdom of Lutton when I was still a child. I was captured, brought north across the ocean, and sold to a mining company."

Hans hummed thoughtfully, and nodded as a gesture for him to continue. Joshua paused for a few seconds with a troubled expression, before continuing.

"I am also experienced with treating field injuries, including performing stitches and amputations."

There was a range of reactions among his tiny audience. Yue leaned back, Neil blinked twice rapidly, while Hans's eyes narrowed.

"And why do you have experience in surgery, Mister Joshua?"

Hans asked in a tone that was close to demanding. Surgeons were highly trained professionals trained by royal court scholars and employed by armies for the purpose of treating soldiers during their line of duty. For him to reveal that he, a former slave, to have the skills of a surgeon was equivalent to a beggar declaring they could do high order mathematics.

So when Joshua remained silent, Hans pressed in a gentler yet more insistent tone.

"Mister Joshua?"

At long last, Joshua revealed the truth impassively.

"I was freed from slavery by a band of mercenaries that were hired by a rival firm, and was assigned with the band's surgeon. When he passed away two years later, I took over his post."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The silence dragged for a long time, until Hans broke it with a simple 'I see', his expression now laced with intrigue.

"Mister Joshua, are you familiar with the plague that swept across the continent four years ago?"

Joshua grimaced at the memories that emerged. It was a terrible time where death ran rampant, and all people could do was pray to be spared. But their prayers were useless, for nearly everyone who caught the plague perished.

"Yes, I am."

"Please tell me, what do you know about it?"

Perhaps the man was questioning him to judge his credibility, so Joshua thought about his answer carefully before replying.

"It is an illness defined by the symptoms of weakness, nausea followed by frequent vomiting, high fever, and skin rashes. It doesn't seem to spread from person to person, and the worst affected places are those with poor sewage and bad hygiene, so I believe it spreads through contaminated water. There is no cure, except to control the sick person's fever. After that, the only thing left is to wait hope they pull through."

The manager of Ruvenheigen's Rowen Guild slowly nodded.

"I assume you have first-hand experience dealing with plague victims?"

Joshua replied that he did, and recounted his tale.

When the plague reached the Kingdom of Trenni, Joshua and the mercenary group he was with immediately left the nation and went north, to Ploania. However along the way, several of the men fell ill and developed the symptoms. Under his care, only half of them survived. It didn't matter that the mercenaries were tough, hardy men that could survive the harshness of battle, those struck by the plague became so weak they could even be overpowered by a child.

By the time he was done, Hans was wearing an inscrutable expression. Perhaps he was unconvinced? Beside Joshua, Yue was staring at him with open surprise. That was unsurprising, since he had kept the fact that he was a mercenary from her a secret till now.

Finally, Yue's nephew picked up the abandoned goose feathered quill, dipped it in an ink pot, and resumed authorizing her employment contract.

"Neil, prepare my seal."

He called, indicating a ring with a flat, circular seal on it on the desk. The city merchant nodded, fetched a burning beeswax candle set on a stand beside the desk, picked up the ring and tilted the candle over it to allow half a dozen droplets of liquid wax to fall on the seal.

"I've decided on your temporary post."

Hans said to Yue as he scribbled the final parts.

"You will leave Ruvenheigen this evening to Castle Trenni."

Yue gasped in surprise and an excited grin split across her face. Such was her glee that her ears shot up and her tail straightened behind her like a broom. However that glee only lasted for a second. She turned to Joshua worriedly.

"Then, what about…"

Hans's gaze flicked once to Joshua before returning to the paper.

"If he wishes, I'm willing to employ him as your guide since he has experience in travelling. Moreover I fear if left alone, you will end up deviating from the path, be it intentionally or not."

Yue blinked, and her frown deepened.

"Wait, what about his recommendation?"

"I shall decide that when you return. And before you argue, let me remind that if you wish to work outside home, you must respect the order of things. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

In other words, this isn't home where we can bicker as aunt and nephew. As of now, you are an employee, and I am your employer. Yue looked as if she had bit into something sour, before huffing indignantly and looking away. She then turned to Joshua, slightly embarrassed, but also quite pleased.

"Looks like I will be in your care for a while longer."

As for Joshua, he remained apprehensive. Disregarding the unspoken 'take it or leave it' choice he had been offered, he was glad that the two of them can continue travelling together a while longer. But what about after that? Hans must have noticed his reaction, because he stopped writing once again and looked up with a sincere yet uncompromising gaze.

"Mister Joshua. Consider this as a test. If you pass, I promise that I shall put in good words for you. In return, take care of my family. Understood?"

It sounded more like an order than a request, yet Joshua was not intimidated, having served under slavers and mercenaries before. He replied that he did, and Hans smiled. Was it his imagination or did Hans's smile seem bitter? Also, why did he say 'family' if he was referring to Yue? Moreover, the trip to the capitol can't be so dangerous. He couldn't help but feel that there was something Hans was keeping quiet about.

"Mister Hans."

Neil called while bringing the ring seal stamp with a layer of melted wax on it.

"Ah, thank you."

Yue's nephew carefully took the ring and pressed it onto the bottom of the page under his signature. He lifted the ring off, leaving the circular wax stamp of the Rowen Trading Guild. He passed the paper of authorization to Neil and turned to the other two.

"Now then, I must sort out some papers and organize the things you are taking to Castle Trenni. You are free to wander about town, but return here after the evening bell toll."

"What exactly are we bringing there? Jewelry, gold?"

Yue asked excitedly. One of Hans's eyebrows rose up in amusement.

"Nothing of the sort. An assortment of nail sizes, various tools and a number of oddities. The Rowan Branch there is undertaking some renovations."

One could almost feel the disappointment ooze from Yue.

"Please return here at the appointed time."

Neil instructed with a polite yet friendly smile after leading Joshua and Yue outside the guild house. Joshua nodded once and replied they will. He then turned to walk away with Yue in tow. Neil waved in farewell as they departed before going back indoors.

Now that the two were alone, Joshua felt apprehensive as Yue walked beside him. She did not seem angry or upset. On the contrary she looked rather passive. Despite that, he couldn't shake off the feeling that an invisible gap had grown between them.

The reason for that, he felt, was obvious. She now knew he used to be part of a mercenary group. He never told her was because mercenaries were hated by society, regarded as worse than thieves or murderers since they were responsible for stealing and killing and many other worse atrocities.

Mercenaries usually composed of all sorts of people who can't live in normal society. Many were criminals on the run from the law, some joined after losing their homes and family by war or disease, and others merely joined because they were willing to be paid to kill.

As for Joshua, his options were either to join them or flee into the wilderness, where he would surely be killed by wild animals. An escaped slave had no rights, and were treated even worse than convicted criminals.

Yet despite serving that mercenary group for several years, Joshua did not feel ashamed. One reason was because that particular mercenary group was rather peculiar by mercenary standards. After all, it was because of them that he was freed from slavery in the first place.

"Hei."

Yue called and turned to face him with a clam gaze. Earlier she seemed elated to be travelling with him again, could that have changed after the realization of what he was sank in?

"I'm hungry."

She simply suggested instead.

"Ah… Alright."

He replied awkwardly, then looked around and saw that they were close to one of the outdoor markets, where there would be food vendors.

"How about there?"

Yue hummed with a nod and let Joshua lead her to an unoccupied table before one of the stalls. After leaving her at the table, he went to buy bread, roasted mutton and fried beans and brought them to the table. He then bought two tankards of beer from a barrel bellied vendor nearby.

When he returned to sit down opposite Yue, he noticed that the food was untouched. Even when he passed her the tankard, she accepted it with a quiet 'thank you' but did not drink. Unable to stand this heavy tension anymore, Joshua braced himself and spoke.

"Is something wrong?"

Yue's amber eyes rose and pierced through his.

"Is something wrong, you ask?"

Bracing himself for the dreaded words that might come next, he nodded. Yue inhaled deeply, and then exclaimed.

"That wolf of a nephew of mine is using us as his pack mules!"

Her words were so out of synch with what he was expecting that Joshua was stunned for a few seconds. All he managed to utter was a drawn out 'uhh. Yue sighed and shook her head in frustration.

"Don't you see? He's sending us to Castle Trenni with a bunch of lame goods, and I saw what he was writing; he isn't even paying us!"

She stated angrily before grabbing and tossing a handful of fried beans into her maw.

"Oh, he's not?"

Joshua replied, still trying to catch up to her train of thought. She chewed noisily and shook her head firmly.

"Provisions and travelling necessities will be provided, but no payment!"

She stated, then grabbed a chunk of mutton devoured it with barely a bite.

"Hmpf! Doing so because I'm not a proper employee, such a stingy miser!"

Joshua did not reply as he pondered over that. He was still confused as to why the man decided to have Yue go to Castle Trenni after learning Joshua's background. He couldn't help but feel there was something at play which he wasn't aware of, but before he could voice that concern, Yue harrumphed again.

"He's very much like dad."

Yue grumbled as she munched on a second piece of mutton, though her tone was one of recollection rather than brooding.

"My parents always argued because father won't spend an extra coin or two."

"… That depends if that coin was made from copper or gold?"

Joshua said in defense of Yue's father, whose name he doesn't even know. It felt justified to assume that he was supporting a man that was standing up to his squandering wife and daughter. Yue huffed and retorted.

"Cooper wise, gold foolish."

"… I beg your pardon?"

"It means to be meticulous with small matters, but remain completely oblivious to large ones."

Yue explained, set down her empty tankard of beer and wordlessly snatched away his, which having been left untouched was bubbling away at the brim. Joshua did not protest, since he was busy pondering on her words.

"Finally, you've stopped mopping."

Joshua jolted as she dully uttered that statement.

"Just before, you looked like you only have a few hours left to live."

Joshua didn't know what to say, so he apologized. Yue rolled her eyes and sighed as if dealing with a particularly difficult child.

"You were afraid that I would shun you for what you were, am I right?"

Joshua nodded meekly. No matter where one went, mercenaries were feared, even hated. But Yue's dull expression softened into a lax smile.

"I don't care what you were or the things you have done in the past. You are who you are, and that is good enough."

Words couldn't describe how happy hearing that made him feel. He was truly thankful to the gods of fate that let them meet.

"On that note, go get more."

Yue instructed, pushing both empty tankards to him. Joshua feigned irritation at being ordered so as he lifted the tankards and got up towards the beer vendor.

"Get some good wine as well, and more bread. White bread!"

Yue called loudly from behind his back. He was sure that if he turned, he would be confronted by her malicious grin.

"Have mercy on my wallet, won't you? We're not getting paid."

Joshua mumbled to himself instead, and could have sworn the grinning beer vendor was chuckling at his expense when he approached to place his order.

As the evening bell began to toll, Joshua remembered it was time for them to head back and told Yue so. They turned about from one of the craftsmen's districts they had wandered into and made their way back to the Rowen Guild.

"Ah, there are so many places to go in Ruvenheigen."

Yue sighed with content as she walked beside him.

They had spent the entire time walking about from one district to the next, and avoided the poorer housing districts to spare them the foul stench. There were individual districts for every kind of craft and trade, and several marketplaces so big that they could fit whole villages in them.

"Has the city changed since you last visited?"

She casually asked. Joshua had revealed that while serving with the mercenary band, they had passed through Ruvenheigen on a couple of occasions. Because of that, he acted as a tour guide as they strolled about the city.

"Hmm, it's been a while since I last visited."

Joshua honestly replied whilst rubbing his smooth chin in thought.

"Oh, I noticed that the church bells don't toll as often. In the past, it was normal to hear church bells ring quite often, yet now they don't, other than the hourly tolls."

"Hmm, why is that?"

Yue inquired lightly, to which he shrugged to mean he didn't know, before asking.

"What about you? What do you think of the city?"

Yue tilted her head, and he noted her ears twitch under the hood. Was that a sign of her being in thought?

"Well, some places stink terribly."

"That can be said of any city."

"Also, the people seem… agitated."

Yue slowly continued in a quiet, inconspicuous voice. Joshua stopped walking, and she turned to regard his curious frown.

"What do you mean?"

"Just that. You don't hear much laugher, and there are many gloomy faces. I would expect a hometown to be a pleasant place, even if it's not perfect."

Joshua nodded, and looked at the people around them with her words in mind. She was right. The pedestrians all look rather dour. Even the roadside vendors and the customers they served did not exchange any smiles or handshakes. If there was a word to describe the atmosphere, it would be tense.

Unless something big had happened while he was living in Ponoka, there were currently no wars or major crisis, such as the plague, to make the people on edge. Could this be due to internal problems within the city?

Joshua pondered on that as they continued to walk until they arrived outside the Rowen Guild house, where Hans and Neil waited for them alongside a wooden four-wheeled open wagon, drawn by a chestnut colored horse.

"Ah, there you are. Everything has been prepared."

Neil greeted. Yue wore an awed expression as she gazed at the horse drawn wagon while Hans spoke.

"The wagon and horse are yours until you return from Castle Trenni. Mister Joshua, am I right to assume that you know how to drive a wagon?"

One of the common ways mercenary bands travelled long distances with all their kit and belongings was by wagons drawn by mule, donkey or horse. Joshua had driven them on numerous occasions, and as such nodded.

"This stallion belongs to the guild, and is well trained. Also, come here."

Neil continued and brought them to the cargo hold, which looked wide enough for four men to lie side by side. It was covered by a thin gray tarp, which the merchant pulled aside to reveal dozens of wooden crates stacked neatly to take up half the wagon space. Another quarter contained blankets, firewood, several skins of water and wine, and food supplies for them and the horse. The remaining quarter of the wagon was empty, enough space for a child to lie curled up in there.

Next, Neil brought them to the front of the wagon and showed them the toolbox built under the driver's seat. He then briefed Joshua on the terrain and road conditions. They will be taking a less frequented path that led directly to Castle Trenni, so they can't get lost.

After that, Joshua asked Neil a few questions regarding the road, the wagon and the horse, which the merchant promptly answered. Once that was over, he climbed up to sit on one side of the driver's seat before offering a hand to help Yue up from the other side to sit beside him.

"Ah, the driver's seat is too big for one, but a little too small for two."

Neil remarked as a matter of fact. Beside him, Hans slowly shook his head.

"A little too small's just right to keep the cold away. Isn't that right?"

He cast Yue a knowing glance, at which the wolf-girl replied positively with a nod and a 'mhm'. The two then chuckled softly, while Joshua and Neil stared blankly at them before deducing it was a joke within the family.

"Is there anything else you want to ask, Mister Joshua?"

Hans inquired. After pondering for a moment, Joshua shook his head.

"Very well then. Yue, this is yours."

Hans reached into his vest to pull out a thin folded piece of paper.

"This is your authorization papers. Give it to the guards when you reach Castle Trenni. Don't lose it."

He uttered the last sentence severely.

"Humph, what do you take me for?"

Yue retorted indignantly whilst snatching the paper from him. Her silver haired brother then turned to Joshua.

"Take the west main gate out of Ruvenheigen. Mention the guild and my name to the guards. They have been notified and will let you through without question."

Hans glanced pointedly at Yue, and his charming aunt showed him her mischievously innocent smile in response. He briefly returned her smile with a mocking one before returning to Joshua. At that moment, his expression was grave personified, the kind of look commanders had when issuing the order to charge.

"I entrust my family in hands, Mister Joshua."

He sincerely repeated that phrase from before, and raised a hand.

Joshua reached down to shake Hans's hand. The rough calluses on the thumb and index finger were a clear indication of writing using a quill too often, but it was warm, similar to the thin smile the Rowan Guild branch manager now wore. Perhaps he was wrong to think that all merchants were cold hearted.

"I'll make sure not to spoil her."

Joshua replied in jest. Hans chuckled lightly at that, and they heard Yue sniff in annoyance. Once their hands parted, Joshua took hold of the horse's reins and flicked them.

Cluck, cluck, cluck. The sound of the horse's hoofs striking the stone pavement, accompanied by the clatter clutter sound of the wagon wheels turning on the uneven surface.

"Safe travels Mister Joshua, Miss Yue."

Neil bade, waving gently.

"I'm expecting a reward when I get back, you hear!"

Yue called to her nephew.

"I shall consider it."

Hans replied offhandedly, and smiled when Yue sneered and sat back down beside Joshua on the driver's seat. By now, they were quite some distance away, blending into the crowd of pedestrians and carts. As he turned to enter the guild house, he noted Neil's worried frown and halted.

"Sir… Do you think he can do it?"

Neil asked quietly, trying to sound hopeful. Hans shrugged in response.

"I don't know. But it's better than doing nothing, isn't it?"

Neil nodded in agreement.

"Come on, there's work to be done."

Hans stated firmly and went under the stone arches to open the door.

"There is always work to be done."

Neil corrected his superior who was also his teacher and friend.

"But that's why the life of a merchant is so exciting, is it not?"

Hans asked. His once apprentice now accomplice gave an honest smile.

"Most definitely."

When the wagon was a safe distance from Ruvenheigen, Yue stood up to stretch mightily while uttering a quiet yet satisfied 'mmmph'.

"Hei, your tail's poking out."

Joshua warned softly, spying the white tip of her tail peeking from under the cloak. Thankfully the nearest person was some distance ahead and thus couldn't possibly notice, and he was confident that the rattling sounds of the wagon would mask his voice, unless they had a wolf's ears.

"Worry not, I'll be careful."

She replied in an aloof manner before tucking the tail from view.

"You better, remember what your-hei, what are you doing?"

Joshua inquired as she climbed into the back of the wagon. He could only half turn since he had to keep an eye on the road.

"I'm taking a nap."

She answered plainly. He watched her pull back the tarp cover and started rearranging things. There was a small empty space to begin with, so she laid out the blankets like mattresses and used the sacks of food as cushions. When she was finished, she curled up snugly within the space and gave a mighty yawn.

"Oi… You're going to nap while leaving me to drive?"

Joshua protested. She merely nodded and dozed off.

Joshua shook his head with a mighty sigh and turned to face the road once again. It was a clear, cloudless day, perfect to make one feel drowsy, and he complained to the gods for making it so.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning, their wagon approached a roadside village.

Yue had been grooming her tail in the driver's seat beside Joshua, but stopped as they drew nearer to the still and silent settlement. Even though her ears and tail were not concealed, Joshua did not reprimand her. Since for one, she would know by now if there was anyone nearby. And two, he doubted if there was anyone else besides them.

Not even a single chicken could be seen, while all of the buildings on either side of the road were boarded up. Calling it abandoned would be an understatement, the place seemed devoid of life itself.

"Say… What happened here?"

Yue asked softly as the wagon wheels echoed through the otherwise silent settlement, to which Joshua replied in somber a tone.

"The plague. See those black cross marks on the doors? It means that the plague was here, and serves as a warning for others to stay away. I'm guessing this place was terribly affected, to the point where those that survived migrated elsewhere."

The wolf-girl nodded at his reasoning, before lifting her chin to sniff the air tentatively. Her face immediately scrunched in disgust as she covered her nose.

"It smells of death…"

Joshua agreed. Even though his nose was very much inferior compared to hers, there was a distinct difference between the scent of the air here and just minutes ago. Some would even say that the air was cursed, haunted by the spirits of the deceased inhabitants.

"We'll be out of here soon, so bear with it a little longer."

He consoled, and they remained in silence until they put the abandoned settlement far behind them. Despite leaving the ominous place behind, its' depressing ambience lingered like a heavy shadow.

"Did the plague ever reach your home, Nyohhira?"

He asked. Yue nodded with a disturbed demeanor.

"We first heard about it from the traders. Then, even though it was off season, many sick patrons came. They believed that the waters could cure it. However, most of them perished…"

At that point her voice trailed off, prompting Joshua to glance at her with sympathy. Despite being more than twenty years his senior, her tolerance for such things was befitting a timid young girl, which was exactly how she looked right now.

"Strangely yet fortunately, no one from Nyohhira caught it."

She continued. Joshua hummed in thought before replying.

"The reason the plague spread so rapidly was due to contaminated water caused by poor sewage systems and bad hygiene practices."

"Such as that district in Ruvenheigen?"

Yue commented, her nose wrinkling when she recalled the stench.

"Yes. Big towns and cities such as Ruvenheigen were crippled by the amount of people sick with the plague. The worst were in the poor districts, where living places are cramped and there is no clean water. It's not unheard for entire populations to catch the disease in those places."

"Hmm… Everyone in Nyohhira bathes at least once every few days, even if it's just a dip in the springs. Each inn was far apart, and since most of the patrons were the rich, the noble and the clergy, everything had to be immaculately clean."

"That explains why no one from your hometown caught it. Also, it can't spread directly from person to person. But once you catch it, it will take much more than bathing to cure it."

Yue nodded in understanding, before changing the topic.

"In any case, shouldn't we be approaching the city soon?"

Joshua replied that they would, and turned to the sky to estimate the time.

"We should arrive before the sunset."

"Ohoh, I sure hope you haven't gotten us lost."

"Considering that this is the sole, unbranched path to get there, it would be impossible."

He replied with exaggerated confidence to her deliberate tease, at which she giggled.

And so they cast aside the depressing atmosphere, and chatted lightly as the horse pulled them and the wagon across the stone pavement towards Castle Trenni.

Just as he predicted, by the time the sun began its slow descent down the horizon, the capitol of the Kingdom of Trenni came into view. Similar to the time when they approached Ruvenheigen, Yue was all wow and ooh as they approached the huge citadel built on a steep slope.

"That… Wow."

Was all Yue managed to say as she stared, wide-eyed. Not only was it bigger than Ruvenheigen, its gradual elevation made every building further away seem deceptively tall. Joshua was likewise admiring the capitol of Trenni, but with a slight difference in perspective.

"They say that the citadel has never fallen."

"Hmm?"

Yue turned towards him with that extremely curious look that befitted an excitable child. He would have pinched her cheeks, if he wasn't afraid that she'd bite his fingers in retaliation.

"It has never fallen once since it was built five hundred years ago."

"Ooh, do most castles fall that easily?"

The wolf-girl inquired, her head tilted to the side in thought. Joshua had to ponder for a while before replying.

"Well, I wouldn't say that they fall easily, but hardly any exist with a time record as long as Castle Trenni."

"Ohoh, then they must have been shabbily made then, if they fall apart so easily due to rain, snow and sunshine."

Yue commented off-handedly. Joshua blinked once, then grinned at the silly misunderstanding and gently smacked his forehead.

"Sorry, I meant it has never fallen from a siege."

Yue's shoulders stiffened. A split moment later she turned on him with wide ember eyes and flushed cheeks.

"Say that clearly next time, fool!"

She shouted with indignation. Joshua couldn't help but chuckle as he apologized, and was about to counter that it was she who had said something foolish, but flinched instead when she bared her fangs in warning.

"It's your good fortune that no one else is around. Otherwise, I would have really become angry."

She growled while still baring those fangs. Indeed, the nearest wagon was quite far ahead of them. Joshua chose to remain silent and keep his attention focused on the road. After some time passed and he reckoned the worst of her wrath had dissipated, he dared to speak.

"We're getting close to the gates. Shouldn't you hide those ears and tail?

"I was just about to do that."

She retorted as she put on her long oak-brown cloak with the compliance of a child throwing a tantrum while doing as they were told, and put on the fur cap over her head. Once done, she glared at him.

"Happy?"

"Extremely."

Came his prompt reply. Yue's eyes narrowed at the snide response, and sneered in defiance. Joshua pulled a face in retaliation.

As for the horse, it snorted as if to sigh as his two passenger's foolishness.

"Huh… So you're from Ruvenheigen's Rowen Guild?"

The corporal in charge at the gates mumbled as his eyes flickered through the handwritten authorization letter.

The guards on duty had questioned the duo as to their purpose coming here, and called out the corporal when Yue showed them her authorization papers for two reasons. One, the authorization papers could be a fake. Two, they couldn't read.

The corporal pinched his thin mustache while reading the letter twice, and paid particular attention to the seal, before he was satisfied.

"Very well, it seems genuine. Private, fetch my horse."

He called, and a guard saluted before rushing to the stables. The guard returned within a minute with the horse and helped his rather rotund officer climb onto it. The corporal then guided them through the gates and into the outer city.

"I take it this is your first time in Castle Trenni, milady?"

The corporal asked courteously, pacing his horse at the wagon's speed. Yue nodded as her head turned here and there under the hood, and commented.

"It's wonderful and lively place."

The citadel was a little on the cramped side, but very clean and orderly. The streets were paved with stone and free of rubbish and filth. Every building was at least three storeys tall, and made from a vast range of materials such as timber, stone, bricks, even concrete.

"Tis only a common housing district. I would recommend you visit the fairgrounds, now that place's lively, during both day and night!"

The corporal proudly stated, pleased about hearing such honest admiration about his home. Before long however, his round features turned dour.

"Though, things hasn't been as lively during the past month."

Yue turned to regard the corporal with an inquisitive head tilt, while Joshua maintained a blank expression. They had agreed to play the master-servant role again for the sake of convenience. The middle aged corporal coughed.

"Ah, excuse me, I was just mumbling to myself. Soldiers like me hear all sorts of rumors, so it isn't my place to speculate."

In other words, he doesn't want to get blamed for spreading what shouldn't be told.

In due time, the corporal led them to one of the massive gates that lined the inner walls. The guards stationed there read Yue's authorization letter and inspected the wagon's cargo goods before letting them pass. Despite entering the inner city, an inexplicably grand and impressive place which few can claim to have seen, neither Yue nor Joshua looked excited after hearing the corporal's ominous statement.

Shortly after passing through the massive gate, three foot-soldiers clad in mail armor and carrying long pikes approached the wagon from the front and both sides while their commander, a knight on horseback, demanded they halt.

"What on earth…"

The corporal muttered, a heavy frown creeping into his features. However, it was clear that he was outranked, for he complied immediately before saluting the knight. Joshua also reigned the horse to a halt, while his mind raced to find any possible reasons why they were being stopped.

"Are you the representatives of Rowen Guild sent from Ruvenheigen?"

The mounted knight, a grizzled man in plate amour, demanded.

"Aye, they're-"

The corporal started, as since he was leading them meant they were under his care, but the knight silenced him with a stern glare.

"I wasn't talking to you, corporal."

"Uh-! My sincere apologies, sir!"

The rotund corporal quickly apologized. Joshua could sense Yue's irritation at the arrogant knight, and gently bumped her shoulder with his own, before the knight's haughty gaze returned to the duo and snapped 'well?'

"Yes, we are."

Yue replied calmly. Though her tone and gaze were normal, Joshua could feel the heat of her wrath due to their close proximity.

"Hmmph! Where's your authorization papers?"

The knight demanded, at which point the corporal, who had been holding onto it since before, quickly handed it over. The knight's beady eyes flicked over the paper once before nodding curtly.

"You are coming with us. Corporal, you are dismissed."

The corporal stiffened, his brows furrowed momentarily, before the man stiffly saluted the knight. He then bowed his head to Yue, and turned his horse about to leave.

After the corporal had left, things swiftly progressed. The wagon reigns were passed to one of the foot-soldiers, the other two foot-soldiers flanked the wagon, while the mounted knight led the way. The few pedestrians on the path quickly made way for the mounted knight and the wagon.

"What is going on, where are you taking us?"

Yue demanded, making Joshua's heart clench as if about to have a heart attack. Indeed when the knight shot them a heavy glare he thought they were done for, however the knight's reply was curt.

"You have been summoned to the palace."

"The palace…?"

Yue murmured. Joshua turned to regard her questioningly.

"My niece, Alda, is married to royalty, she lives in the palace."

The wolf-girl quietly reminded Joshua, but did elaborate more than that. In a matter of minutes, the wagon was brought before the palace gates where a pair of guards dressed in silver and carrying long halberds stood watch. Despite seeing what possibly was the finest building in the entire kingdom, neither Joshua nor Yue looked excited.

The knight and the palace guards uttered a few brief exchanges, probably a passcode, before the gates were opened to let them through. Once the gates closed behind them, the knight ordered the two to dismount.

When Joshua held Yue's hand to help her dismount, he felt the burning heat of her palms, and was surprised at how well she was concealing her irritation, while for the most part relieved. The knight did not look at all the kind of man who would brook any disobedience, even from a civilian girl.

At the same time, Joshua was still trying to come up with a plausible reason why they had been brought here. The fact that they were recognized at the gate meant their arrival was expected. The only hint as to why was that Yue's niece was here, though that by itself provided no further insight. It was that, and their strange delivery assignment provided by Hans. Whatever it was that Hans had kept hidden, they were soon about to find out.

After they dismounted, one of the foot-soldiers was ordered to deliver the wagon to the Rowen Guild, while the other two went to stand behind Yue and Joshua as escorts. After the knight dismounted, he led them across the wide courtyard that was paved with red bricks, towards the huge arched doors which led into the palace where another pair of silver guards stood watch. After exchanging passcodes with the men on duty, the heavy doors were swung open to let them in.

Yue gasped in amazement.

The interior flooring was made from smooth, polished marble. The plastered walls were painted purple, and the ceiling consisted of countless polished stones assembled into a mosaic depicting blue heavenly skies with milk white clouds where several angels and cupids frolicked.

From the entrance hall, they could go left, right or ahead. The knight led them ahead, through a smaller arched doorway that led into a long hallway, and up a flight of stairs. Other than the few palace guards standing watch at various intervals, they did not encounter another person along the way.

After crossing a second hallway, they approached a pale white wooden door where two palace servants stood on either side. Between them stood an older, portly man, probably the majordomo of the palace, judging from the way he simply waved the knight and soldiers who responded by promptly turning on their heels and marching away. After they were sent off, the man's baggy eyes focused to the duo.

"You are about to enter the common hall, to answer the summons of her graciousness Lady Alda."

He droned with a pompous yet wheezing, grating tone. His thin moustache seemed to twitch at every syllable. From the way he stared up and down both of them, Joshua could tell that he found their dusty clothes… inappropriate, to put it diplomatically.

Interestingly, the majordomo did not stare at Joshua like most other people would. Either the man was being polite, or he was used to seeing people with different colored skin in the palace. It was easy to guess which category he belonged to. After he finished judging them visually, the majordomo exhaled quietly and went to rap his fat knuckles on the door.

"Lady Alda, the representatives of the Rowen Trading Guild of Ruvenheigen has arrived."

"Show them in, please."

The muffled reply came a few seconds later. The majordomo ushered at the servants before stepping to the side as they pulled the doors, revealing a wide room with beige colored marble floor, pale white walls and a white ceiling. Using his eyes, the majordomo instructed Joshua and Yue to enter. After they stepped in, he followed behind them.

"Leave us, please."

Bade the lone noblewoman who stood at the far side of the room while casually looking outside the window. The majordomo stiffened, then bowed once before backing out of the room. Following that, the heavy doors closed with nary a sound.

"Aunt Yue, it has been awhile."

Yue's niece greeted calmly before turning to regard her. The noblewoman wore an elegant dress dyed blue, with close fitting sleeves and the skirt puffed out with multiple layers of frills that were lined with red satin.

Joshua quickly noted the similarity between her and Hans. Both of them had silver hair, were quite tall, and had distinctly similar facial features that reminded him of a sly animal, such as a wolf or fox. The noblewoman's complexion was much fairer compared to Hans, likely due to her comfortable lifestyle. And yet, not even Hans had those lines of extreme exhaustion written on her delicate features.

"It's been awhile… What's wrong?"

Yue replied, and being faster than Joshua to notice the tiredness in her niece's face and voice, she went on the offensive. In response, the silver haired noblewoman smiled thinly in a manner that was a clear replica of Hans's.

"I see Hans has not instructed you how to speak to a noble yet. Firstly, who is your companion?"

Joshua bowed his head low before introducing himself.

"Greetings, your grace. I am but a lowly servant of Miss Yue."

Joshua was mildly surprised that he still remembered how to act in court. Alda's fine gray eyebrows rose in amusement.

"My, your companion is more educated than you in this field."

"Yeah… Something I never knew of."

Yue grumbled, throwing him a curious frown. Her niece laughed in a melodic fashion.

"Though it would have been more pleasant if that wasn't a lie. Tell me truly, what is the relationship between you?"

Joshua unconsciously stiffened at how quickly the lie was exposed. Yue was better at concealing her surprise, unnecessary though it may be. Alda smiled vaguely before revealing to them a critical lesson.

"The life of a noble is spent listening to lies, partial truths or unproven truths. Those who cannot distinguish between the three are doomed to be manipulated by those who can."

After that, Yue quickly retold the tale of how they met. Alda was a good listener, and remained attentively silent until Yue was done. At that point, she clapped her hands once with a delightful smile.

"A wondrous tale! From a helpless maiden you became the valiant knight! Hans is most kind to send you here. It has lifted my mood tremendously."

Alda stated honestly, before her brightened demeanor dimmed.

"So, what's wrong?"

Alda exhaled at Yue's repeated question, as if chastising her being impatient. She then reached into a sleeve and pulled out a rolled up parchment.

"Hans sent a letter by a fast rider that arrived yesterday night. It foretold your arrival, but other than that the rest of the message is unclear. I was hoping you can interpret it."

Yue's brows furrowed at the unexpected change in topic.

"He's your brother, why are you asking me?"

"He sent you. And who else can I ask?"

Alda retorted calmly. The wolf-girl hissed in annoyance, not at her niece but at herself. If Hans sent her here, then delivered a cryptic message late at night that only detailed her arrival, it made logical sense that the two were related. Yue exhaled to vent her frustration before stepping forward to accept the rolled parchment. With a flick of the wrist, she unrolled the letter and began reading it.

After a few seconds of silence, Alda asked 'well?' with a hint of impatience. Yue hummed before looking up and replying nonchalantly.

"I don't see anything to decipher."

Joshua immediately felt the room atmosphere shift, even though Yue's niece did not do and say anything. She was clearly a noblewoman with an impressive aura, and a formidable one at that. Yue must have noticed at as well, but remained unconcerned.

"The seventh sentence."

Alda stated in a deliberately calm tone to keep her growing frustration in check. Yue glanced through the letter to reread that sentence.

"Oh, this… That's him."

Yue stated before jerking her chin at Joshua. Alda's face paled.

"What? You mean… Are you sure?"

The noblewoman's pupils narrowed, and she murmured in a voice so soft that Joshua was worried she might collapse. Yue nodded and read out loud.

"Aside aunt's arrival, I have recently met a skilled herbalist with proficiency in medicine and surgery, as well as possess experience with treating those affected by the plague. There's no mistake, that's him."

It felt patronizing, but Joshua could tell the letter referred to him.

"I-I see… Forgive me, I have underestimated you…"

The noblewoman apologized while addressing Joshua directly for the first time. Yue huffed proudly.

"Tis a fool indeed who judges others based on nothing but appearance and prejudice."

Joshua would have scolded her for being rude, but Alda nodded first.

"Yes, I was a fool. I apologize."

She sincerely admitted. For the second time since stepping into the hall, Joshua stiffened. This was the first time he had a noble apologize to him. In any circumstance, even if the noble was at fault, they felt no obligation to apologize. Most would brush it off, some would even start shouting.

"I am not so foolish as to believe I am never wrong, even if my blood is purple."

Alda quipped. After releasing drawn out another sigh, Yue loudly cleared her throat, tired of this beating around the bush business.

"Now, would you tell us what's wrong?"

The wolf-girl asked one more time. This time, her niece complied.

"It… It would be better if I showed you, come."

Alda walked past them towards the door, and opened it herself. Outside, the two servants and the majordomo jumped when the door suddenly opened and there stood the noblewoman.

"Your grace, is there-"

"These two are granted free access to the palace."

Alda instructed before striding past them with Joshua and Yue in tow.

"Y-yes, your grace."

The majordomo answered hesitantly and bowed, his sagging eyes frowned unwelcomingly at the backs of the two commoners.

Alda led them to the fourth floor and down a wide hallway which ended with three doors, two on the left and one on the right. She brought them before the right door.

Yue's intrigued expression turned apprehensive as her nose scrunched, and Joshua soon understood why the moment he inhaled. The thick, familiar scent of religious incense. From that moment, he could guess as to what they will find inside.

Without a word of explanation, Alda pushed open the door to reveal a dark room. The first thing that came out of the room were soft chanting murmurs, followed by thin misty smoke. After raising a sleeve over her nose, Alda entered.

Within the gloomy yet spacious and well-furnished bedroom, Joshua immediately noticed two things. First, half a dozen men wearing priest robes were chanting around a bed. Second, on the bed was a silver haired child wheezing and coughing under the covers.

Perhaps disturbed by the bright light from the open door, the boy stirred before opening his bleary eyes.

"Ma…?"

"Yes dear, mother's here."

Alda gently replied while approaching her son to brush back his fringe.

"Mama… My throat hurts…"

The boy said before going into another fit of coughs.

"Ana, bring his medicine."

Alda called, and a female servant who had been keeping vigil at the corner of the room approached, helped the boy sit upright and fed him a spoonful of syrupy liquid.

After taking the medicine, the boy was laid back down to rest. The servant girl returned to her post while Alda went back to Yue with Joshua, who had been observing from outside the bedroom door.

"Your grace… Is that…"

Joshua started, but did not finish the sentence.

"My son, Luthred, is sick with the plague."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Within the dimly lit bedroom which was thick with the stifling stench of incense, Lady Alda gently mopped her sleeping son's forehead with a damp cloth as the priests chanted their prayers monotonously. Her aunt, Yue, stood nearby without a word as she gazed worriedly upon her sickly grandnephew. As for Joshua, he examined the boy from the rear of the congregation.

The boy's face was flushed, neck marred with red rashes, breathing rhythm irregular and interrupted by caw-like coughs. While Joshua was aware that individually, these symptoms can be caused by a range of different illnesses, together there was little doubt. These were symptoms of the plague.

The priests' drawling and mumbling prayers sounded dull and insignificant to Alda. They have been chanting for well over two days, changing shifts every few hours with their colleagues housed in the chapel downstairs. Throughout the whole time, her son's condition had only worsened.

The noblewoman noticed one of the solemn-faced priests breaking formation from his chanting peers, and assumed he was going to change shift until he approached her with an air of absolute morose. He was one of the older members, and stood a full head shorter than her due to a hunched back. His nose was too large for his face, and his eyes a little too close together.

"Can we speak outside, your grace?"

The priest said in an aloof tone and manner. In society, only two kinds of people can talk to nobles that way. The first were nobles of higher social status, and the second were ordained members of the clergy.

Having proclaimed themselves as the ambassadors of God, the church deemed itself on equal footing if not higher than nobles. Even kings of mighty nations bow before the pope, and treated them with reverence.

That said, the church doesn't merely command respect. They have the financial, political and military power to back them up, which essentially makes them a faction by its own rights.

And so, Alda had no choice but to swallow her irritation and nod. She beckoned Yue and Joshua to leave first before exiting herself. The priest slowly followed after her and closed the door behind him.

"Your grace, we have come to a conclusion regarding the fate of your son."

The middle aged priest began when they were outside. He paused to put on an expression of serenity before continuing.

"Your son is being called to heaven, your grace."

The priest's audience's responses were diverse, and none pious in any way. Alda inhaled sharply in grief, Yue's eyes narrowed angrily, while Joshua's fists clenched tightly as he resisted the urge to retort at this sham of a medical treatment the boy was receiving. The priest remained oblivious to their reactions. Perhaps he was used to seeing such reactions, or perhaps he just doesn't care.

"We will continue to pray until the very end. After that, I suggest organizing a wake. My colleagues and I would be honored to carry out the ceremony."

Yue shot a glance at her niece when she felt the sudden surge rage that Alda emitted. Even the priest backed away one step, startled, before coughing lightly to conceal his nervousness.

"Then I shall return to continue praying to the Lord to accept the child into his fold, excuse me."

The priest concluded in a rather hurried manner before entering the patient's bedroom once more. A few moments passed in silence as Alda's anger slowly subsided.

"Mister Joshua."

Alda called in a quiet yet clear voice. It was the first time she was calling him by name.

"Yes, your grace?"

He replied, even though he could already guess what she was going to say.

"My son is going to die. Can you save him?"

Even though it was not phrased or intended as an order, it was nonetheless still an order since it came from a noble. When a noble asks, a peasant obeys.

"I would have them leave, and place you in charge. Everything you need will be provided. Materials, tools, even servants, and not only that, you will be well compensated."

Alda continued, and waited impatiently for his compliance. So when Joshua did not reply, she whipped about to glare at him with those sharp gray eyes. Those eyes lost its intensity immediately upon meeting his. His demeanor did not portray defiance or cowardice, which she had immediately suspected, but something more significant.

"Give me time to think this over, your grace."

Joshua requested. Next, it was Yue's angry gaze which assaulted him.

"How can you-!"

"Very well."

Alda interrupted before the wolf-girl could say another word. She then called for servants in a voice loud enough to carry down the long hallway.

In response, two male servants dressed in fine uniforms appeared.

"Bring him to my personal waiting room. Bring refreshments, and wait on him outside."

Alda ordered, and the two servants obeyed immediately. While the servants gestured at Joshua to follow them, Alda stared hard at him.

"If you refuse, know that my son's death will be by your inaction."

She venomously accused, but Joshua did not look intimidated. Whether it was a threat or not, Joshua never found out. All he did was bow before turning to follow the servants.

As the distance grew between them, Yue's angry and distressed gaze continued to burn into his back. She was beyond angry, she was outraged, shocked with disbelief. To realize that her partner was so coldhearted struck her profoundly.

"Aunt, go with him."

Alda bade. When Yue stubbornly shook her head, clearly not wanting to comply, she quietly added.

"Please."

That single word made Yue blink and lean away from Alda with shock. It must be due to the complicated emotions of a grieving mother, for the word seemed ten times heavier than normal.

And so, Yue begrudgingly nodded and trotted after Joshua.

Alda watched them until they turned round a corner, before reentering her son's bedroom where the boy remained surrounded by mummers and incense.

Yue looked as if she wanted to verbally and perhaps even physically tear Joshua apart, but was restraining herself due to the servants' presence.

After showing them into the spacious waiting room and gesturing for them to sit near the fireplace, one of the servants started a small fire while the other brought in refreshments in the form of chilled grape juice.

Once their tasks were completed, they bowed and left, closing the door behind them with nary a sound. In the silence that ensued, only the cackling of burning firewood and Yue's soft hiss could be heard.

"What was the meaning of that?"

She demanded in a forcedly level tone.

"Do you remember that child, in Ponoka?"

Joshua asked instead, refusing to meet her wrathful gaze. Yue's expression shifted to resemble someone who had bitten into something sour, before replying.

"You are afraid of failing?"

"There is that, but that's not the mean reason."

He admitted, and finally dared to face the wolf-girl's tight frown.

"Then… You are afraid of what would happen if you fail?"

After a long pause, Joshua nodded. Yue's eyes widened, but not due to anger. On the contrary, she looked confused.

When the child in Ponoka died, the villagers accused Joshua of murder. They would have hung him from a tree if she hadn't come to his rescue. And yet throughout the whole time, she did not sense an ounce of fear from him.

If she had to describe why, she would say that he was prepared to die. Perhaps he had given up hope and was ready to accept that fate. Or perhaps due to his past as a slave and mercenary, he had gotten used to the prospect of dying.

However she knew that those weren't the true reasons. It was because Joshua knew that he was innocent, and that conviction gave him courage to remain dignified even in the face of death.

That is one of the reasons why she felt rather fond of him, and that is also why she could not understand why he was hesitating to help now.

"What scares you so?"

She demanded, her patience now precariously thin. Joshua slowly exhaled before answering.

"If I fail, I will definitely be held responsible. The priests might claim that my methods actually killed her son. If that happens, I will hung as a murderer. But-"

Hearing him repeat what she already knew finally wore out Yue's patience. She shot up from her chair to cut him off by completing his sentence.

"But I know you're not scared. So why don't you want to help?"

She snarled, and Joshua winced at the sight of both exposed fangs. He also noted two sharp tents on her head under the kerchief that covered her crown, and saw the back of her cloak flared out behind her, caused by her pricked ears and straitened tail, respectively. He wondered whether the reason she hadn't attacked him yet was because those servants were standing outside the door.

"It's not that I don't want to help. I'm afraid that if I fail, you will also be dragged down with me, along with the Rowen Guild."

Yue's back straightened, while her face froze. Despite that, her eyes were moving furiously as she caught up with his line of thought. She quickly recovered and went on the offensive.

"But my brother sent you here because of this, no?"

She stated rather than ask. Joshua frowned and shook his head.

"That's not true, he asked me to take care of you-"

Joshua's words faded like a candlelight flicking out of existence as he understood what Yue was implying, while the wolf-girl grinned sharply at him, having gained the upper hand.

"I entrust my family in your hands. That was what he said."

The pieces started to fall in place one by one. Hans' look of genuine surprise upon realizing Joshua had dealt with plague victims before, the sudden change in Yue's task from being a mere city runner to a supplier destined for Castle Trenni, and the unusual "test" he had of accompanying her. It now made sense.

The corporal from the outer gates had let slip that something unpleasant had occurred in the palace. A messenger on a fast horse can travel between Castle Trenni to Ruvenheigen within half a day. Hans must have known that Alda's son was sick with the plague, but could do nothing to help. And then Joshua walked into his office.

As Joshua shook his head in disbelief at his own dimwittedness, Yue's grin widened.

"So, what should we do, you foolish worrywart?"

Rather than responding, Joshua called for the servants.

Her son's room was dark due to the closed curtains, and the air was thick with smoke and incense, so much so that it made Alda's eyes water as she pressed a scented napkin to her face to dampen the stench.

Those priests were still chanting those meaningless prayers around her son, with their eyes closed and hands clasped together. To be truthfully honest, she had half a mind to send these useless priests away, but could not bring herself to do so. Her son was sick with the plague, and there is no way to cure him, save for praying for a miracle. That, and the young, olive-skinned man that Hans had sent.

She knew that if he failed, the blame will fall entirely on him. The priests were merely praying, which was harmless. However, if an outsider were to suddenly take over and fail, everyone will blame him, be they noble or peasant.

Of course, she could just order him with the backing of half a dozen palace guards and their iron tipped spears pointed at him, but that wasn't her way. Sure, she would admit to being presumptuous and proud, but never violent. Not only that, the rest of her family would never forgive her. Her aunt aside, the thought of how her grandmother would react made Alda shiver.

And so all Alda could do was pray to God – if he existed – to save her son.

A hand gently landed on her shoulder. She startled, and turned to see her husband. Lord Brent was still clad in the ceremonial robes of his official post, having just finished with the day's work. His eyes were the ones of a worried father and husband.

"Dear… Come outside for some fresh air."

Lord Brent quietly invited. Alda looked back at her son, who coughed lightly as the priests chanted monotonously around his bedside like the grim reapers themselves. She then nodded and let her husband escort her out of the room. Once they were outside, a pair of servants closed the door behind them, and Alda removed the scented napkin from her nose.

"You should get some rest. The priests are doing all they can."

Lord Brent urged. His wife had been awake for two whole days, watching over their son as his condition worsened day by day. Alda inhaled deeply and nodded. She knew her body was at its limits.

Her husband smiled gently, thankful that his immensely stubborn wife finally agreed. As he brought an arm around to support her shoulder and lead her back to her bedchambers, a servant approached and bowed before them. He recognized the servant as one of Alda's.

"Yes, what is it?"

He asked in her stead. The servant bowed low to both of them before facing Lady Alda.

"Your guest sends word that he agrees, your grace."

Lord Brent tilted his head in confusion, and was utterly surprised when his wife suddenly straightened as if regaining all her strength. Alda quickly told the servant to bring them here, immediately. She then instructed the other servants to rouse the castle's herbalists, surgeons, pharmacists and apothecaries.

"Dear, what on earth is going on?"

The lord insisted, perplexed and a little worried that his wife might have lost her senses. Alda quickly finished dishing out instructions before turning to her husband, her gray eyes sparkling with hope.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"My, my, we sure have caused a commotion."

Yue dryly whispered to Joshua. In response, he hissed to warn her to remain silent. At that, she giggled under her breath as they watched the drama unfold outside Luthred's bedroom: the half dozen priests were protesting to Lord Brent and Lady Alda after being told to leave.

"Lord Brent, this is preposterous!"

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Our prayers are the young lord's last hope!"

Lord Brent, nephew of King Adrian the second, maintained a dignified silence as the priests continued to ramble on. When the clergymen finally lost their initial bluster, he raised a hand to silence them before speaking. After his response, the priests immediately protested with greater fervent.

Joshua couldn't hope to hear what they were saying, so he looked to Yue, who possessed those keen wolf ears. Yue relayed what the priests said as they glanced and pointed towards them.

"He's just told them you're the reason why they are being sent away. Ohoh, they are now talking about us. Arrogant bunch, they are. They claim that we are nothing more than frauds."

"We're wasting time here, that boy needs medical attention now."

Joshua protested, prompting Yue to pat his arm. It reminded him of how a hunter would pet their dog's back to calm them before the hunt.

"Patience, they are coming to a conclusion."

After some time, Lord Brent finally convinced the priests to leave. As one, the six priests turned haughtily and walked away, but not before throwing dirty glances at Joshua and Yue.

Once they were gone, Lady Alda approached them. Yue's silver haired niece gave them a tired smile.

"Come, let me introduce you to my husband."

Joshua and Yue followed Alda and stopped before Lord Brent. The man was slighter taller than Joshua and considerably broader. Despite that, he looked exhausted after the verbal duel between him and six priests.

"Dear husband, you remember my aunt, Yue. This is her companion in travel, Joshua."

Alda introduced. The nobleman inclined his head at Yue with a smile.

"Despite the circumstances, it is a pleasure to meet you again, Lady Yue."

His eyes then shifted to Joshua, and his dark brows furrowed.

"They say you are a fraud, a heretic from the south who will poison my son's soul rather than save him. What do you have to say for yourself?"

He demanded severely. The man did not just look tired, he was worried to the core. His son was dying and his only hope was to trust in a young olive-skinned foreigner.

Alda and Yue watched Joshua closely. When a noble asks, a peasant obeys. Yet Joshua was no mere peasant. Rather than cowering and answering immediately, he remained calm before replying confidently.

"My lord, I am a non-believer of the church, but I am no fraud. I cannot promise that I can save your son, but I can do more than what prayer can."

Lord Brent's eyes narrowed.

"Those are big words. Are you aware of the consequences? And not just to you, but to Lady Yue and the rest of the Rowan Trading Guild?"

"I am."

Just like that, Joshua sealed his and Yue's and Hans' fate.

"I need a quill and paper. And get rid of those incense burners."

Joshua ordered as soon as they stepped into the dark and smoky room.

"Yes, yes."

Yue replied before opening the door to bark orders at the servants waiting outside, and at the same time tossing out several incense burners that were littered around the room. She resisted the urge to snicker as the servants gasped at the sight of holy incense flying out one after another.

"Yue, help me open every window in the room."

Joshua called. Clicking her teeth, Yue shut the door none too gently and crossed the room to yank aside the tall curtains before throwing open a pair of glass-paned windows, protesting as she did.

"How unpleasantly bossy. Is this how one should treat their helpers?"

"You're in this as much as I am. Failure isn't an option."

"That's my line, you fool."

She immediately snapped back with a loud harrumph.

Lord Brent had officially placed Joshua in charge of treating his son. As such, only he and Yue were allowed in the boy's room. Thus if anything goes wrong, it will be entirely their fault.

When enough windows were thrown open to bask the entire bedroom in bright yellow evening sunlight, Joshua approached Luthred's bedside to feel the boy's forehead. It was very warm. The boy's breaths was came in haggard, wheezing gasps due to his throat being sore from coughing.

"I need many bed warmers, a bucket of clean water and some towels."

He ordered, and once again Yue conveyed his instructions to the servants outside, but not before muttering her discontent of being ordered around. Upon returning, she handed him a quill dipped a pot of ink and a roll of parchment.

"Here."

"Thank you."

Joshua took them to the table and started listing the ingredients he needed and how he wanted them prepared, be it crushed, boiled or mixed. A minute later, he felt a gentle breeze wafting through the room, carrying away the foul incense smell and bringing in cool, clean air. He looked up and inhaled deeply before commenting.

"Ah, this is much better."

"Aye, even my nose was starting to clog up."

Yue agreed as she examined her sick grandnephew.

"The smoke was making him cough so violently. But of course, those priests would never acknowledge that. They believe it purifies the soul, or something like that."

He stated with obvious contempt. Yue chuckled lightly.

"You're not very fond of the church, are you?"

In response, he turned to face her with raised an eyebrow in lieu of asking 'and you?' to which she grinned and exclaimed loud enough for her voice to carry through the thick bedroom doors.

"I despise them!"

At that, both of them laughed. Part out of amusement but mostly due to the absurdity of their conversation in this serious situation. Though that said, Yue had good reason to dislike the church. If they ever catch and expose her ears and tail, she and her entire family will be burnt to the stake as demon worshipers.

"The room will quickly become cold with the windows open. Please add more wood into the fireplace."

He told Yue, who quickly went to toss more firewood into the fireplace. When she was done, he finished compiling the list and handed it to her.

"Here, pass this to the servants."

"Ooh, there's quite a lot."

Yue commented as she glanced through the list. There were more than fifty things prepared in all sorts of ways. Upon reaching the bottom of the list, her brows furrowed.

"Potatoes, seasoned vegetables, salt, pepper? These are cooking ingredients. For us?"

"Not just us, he needs to eat too."

Joshua replied as he gently held the boy's wrist to count his pulse. It was faint, but came in regular intervals.

"Mmm. Though truthfully, I am hungry too."

Yue stated as a matter of fact before passing the list to the servants.

Sometime later, just as the sun was halfway down the skyline, a servant knocked on the door to report that the items he requested had arrived. Yue went to receive it, and startled Joshua when she gasped in surprise and anger.

"What's the matter?"

He asked, leaving the boy's bedside to join her at the doorway.

The wolf-girl turned to regard him with a rage-filled expression that was not directed at him before standing aside and to show him. On the floor outside the room were several baskets of raw ingredients, a pestle and mortar, an empty pot with several cooking utensils inside, and an assortment of other items mentioned in the list. None of them were prepared like he had instructed.

"What… Is the meaning of this?"

Joshua forced himself to maintain an even tone.

"They're making us do everything. They said nobody wants to be directly involved. Damned cowards!"

Yue hissed venomously before spitting that insult at the servants, who backed away and hung their heads in silence, afraid to meet her glowing red eyes.

Joshua shook his head in disbelief. This was not something ordered by Lord Brent or the servants themselves, but by the overseers that received and relayed orders from the former to the later.

"Call Lady Alda, I must speak with her."

He ordered, but the servants shook their head.

"Lady Alda and Lord Brent have retired to their chambers. We are forbidden from waking them at this hour."

"Damn it, then who is!?"

Yue demanded, her patience already precariously thin.

"I am."

A portly man stepped into view. It was the majordomo of the palace.

"Lord Brent has entrusted me with ensuring you receive whatever you need to help the young master. Whatever you need, ask and I shall have it provided."

"But not like this!"

Joshua retorted, sweeping an arm at the ingredients between them.

"My sincere apologies, but none of the palace staff are obliged to serve you. If something goes amiss, we do not want to be blamed for incompetence or worse, cooperating with you."

The majordomo apologized without any sympathy.

"This is ridiculous! I'm going to see my niece!"

Yue exclaimed, pushed the servants aside and started towards the opposite doors less than twenty steps away when suddenly the majordomo called loudly for the guards. In a moment, several men appeared from either end of the hallway. They were clad in shining plate armor and armed with long halberds. The majordomo sneered.

"You are not allowed to leave the young master's side."

"Yue, don't!"

Joshua insisted as the wolf-girl hissed at the majordomo, who flinched at her ferocity and at the sight of her longer than normal canines.

"Don't, it's not worth it."

Yue glanced at him sharply, and the rage in her amber eyes faded as she nodded, having understood the hidden meaning of his words.

"Hmpf, you're right. That old sack of lard isn't worth my wrath."

Yue shook her head as she returned to Joshua's side, who couldn't help but chuckle as the majordomo's round face flushed red with anger.

"S-so there you have it! If there's anything you need, feel free to ask."

The majordomo's round body trembled with anger towards the two impertinent outsiders, and he attempted to deliver the final punch with a mocking sneer of a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, go away you old fart."

Yue booed as she and Joshua brought the things on the floor into Luthred's bedroom. The majordomo was about to retort when the door slammed shut in his face.

"I never knew your language was so flowery."

Joshua commented as he started grinding at the mortar.

"Hmpf. It used to be much more flowery, until mother decided to punish me for every word I use."

Yue replied while helping him by skinning the potatoes. Several moments passed before she looked towards her grandnephew with eyes as sharp as a hawk's.

"Hey, he's shivering."

Those words made Joshua shoot up, and he went to feel the boy's forehead. To his surprise, the boy's temperature had dropped considerably, even though the room was quite warm due to the brightly burning fire despite the windows being left open.

"We must get him warmed up."

He stated while pulling another blanket over the boy.

"Should I close the windows?"

"No, get all the bed warmers and put them in the fireplace. Also, place the water skins near the fire."

He instructed before pulling a third blanket over the boy. Once Yue was done, she went to stand beside Joshua who continued to examine his patient. The boy's breathing rate gone slow and shallow, and his pulse dysregulated.

"Hei, his shivering is getting worse. What should we do?"

"I, I don't know. We can't warm him too fast or his heart will go into arrest, there's nothing-"

Joshua's words trailed as he turned to Yue, who blinked back innocently.

"What?"

"There is a way… You could cuddle with him to share body heat, that's the safest way to warm a person."

The wolf-girl arched a fine eyebrow, giving him a look that was above surprised. She started to giggle in an exaggeratedly embarrassed manner, but immediately ceased at Joshua's stern demeanor.

"What's the matter?"

She asked, knitting her brows as she tried to comprehend why he looked so dire, and why he had failed to become embarrassed. Her confusion doubled when his expression now became mixed with perplexity after her query.

"If he has the plague, in such close contact it could spread to you."

Yue's eyes widened at that, but not for the reasons Joshua imagined. Rather than trepidation from the risk, she was surprised because he had been worried for her sake, which subsequently led to embarrassment for being too absorbed in her own imaginations.

"Worry not, wolves are much more resistant to disease than humans."

"But-"

Before he could say anything else, Yue crawled into the bed.

"Well, excuse me… Oh dear, he is really cold."

She stated after wrapping her arms around the boy. His entire body was damp with sweat, but Yue ignored that and drew him closer so that his head rested just above her chest, within the groove of her neck. She then brought out her thick furry tail and wrapped it behind his back. Just as she settled into position, the boy stirred lightly and opened his eyes.

"…Mama?"

He called weakly as he gazed up at a vaguely familiar face, which prompted a girlish giggle from the person who then shook her head.

"Nope. I am your grandaunt, Yue."

The boy blinked once, slowly, before his body started shivering again.

"I'm cold…"

Yue gently wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Try and sleep, little one. I will be here."

She promised, and felt the child nod once against her chest. Joshua quietly watched the boy drift to sleep in Yue's arms.

Luthred was about one third shorter his aunt and a little thinner. The sight of a sleeping young boy being cuddled by a young maiden looked rather idyllic to Joshua, as long as he ignored the fact that the 'maiden' was actually part wolf and was over forty years old.

"What, are you jealous?"

Yue teased. Joshua could only see the right side of her face since the other was pressed into the bed, and that side was split in a teasing grin. He knew that she was aware of his unease at the risk she was in, and thus purposefully said that to lighten the mood. And so, his reply came promptly.

"Very."

"Hah! And what would you do if you ever find yourself in this position?"

She asked, this time her expression half serious. After a moment's pause, he answered plainly.

"I would pray that you will end my life as painlessly as possible."

Her eyes widened at that with delightful surprise. The wolf-girl laughed quietly, her trembling body causing her grandnephew to shake as well.

"Then I shall oblige that wish when the time comes."

Yue finished, still giggling with mirth but her right eye focused on him, as if daring him to try and counter her.

Joshua knew that if he did, she would only find a better counter, so he ignored her and returned to the mortar and pestle.

Thuck, thuck, thuck.

The sound of herbs being crushed by the ceramic pestle pounding on the stone mortar. Accompanying that was the gentle inhale and exhale from a young boy and slight snores from his aunt, both of whom were fast asleep.

Joshua kept working until the wee hours of the morning, when he noticed Luthred, who was still in Yue's arms, stir awake. He got up from the desk where he was busy mixing herbs and approached the bed.

"Who are you…?"

The boy asked weakly, after regarding the person who held him.

"My name is Joshua, a friend of your grandaunt."

The boy's eyes returned to Yue, who had stopped snoring.

"Ooh… Right, mama's aunt…"

Joshua reached out to feel the boy's forehead. To his relief, the boy's body temperature had risen to that of a mild fever, thanks to the heat generated from the fireplace and Yue's shared body warmth.

"How do you feel?"

"… Tired, and my throat hurts. Where are the old men?"

Luthred replied softly while glancing around his room.

"Your father sent them away. Yue and I are here to help you get better."

The boy accepted his answer with relief.

"Oh, ok. Those men were noisy and scary. And it was hard to breathe."

Joshua nodded empathetically. He gently lifted the boy's neck to examine the red rashes underneath, and realized that they weren't rashes but scratches.

"Did you scratch your neck?"

The boy looked very guilty as he nodded and murmured that is was because his throat felt itchy.

"Hmm, try not to. It would be terrible if you give yourself a scar."

Joshua muttered with a frown as he examined the boy one more time. Rashes were a common sign of the plague, yet the boy carried none.

Did you drink any water that you shouldn't have? From the pond, water barrels, puddles, drains? Ah… Sorry."

He apologized, because the boy scowled with disgust.

"I'm not that silly."

Joshua apologized again. The silver haired boy looked around eight years old, but spoke well and confidently. Whether that was because of his upbringing or his wolf-blood, Joshua didn't know. He then turned his attention to Yue, who still remained asleep.

"Look at her, sleeping like her log."

"Sorry if I sleep like a log."

Yue suddenly stated with her eyes still closed, making Joshua jump. Her eyes then flicked opened to stare at him with a mixture of annoyance and satisfaction. Joshua shook his head. She had been awake the entire time.

"I'm hungry, bring me food."

"Are you hungry as well?"

Joshua asked the boy, who eagerly nodded. He then went to the fireplace to bring over the pot of bubbling soup, along with a handful of baked potatoes.

After stirring the pot with a wooden ladle, he poured some out into a bowl. At the same time Yue helped Luthred to sit upright, but kept an eye on the steaming bowl.

"Wipe away that drool, the soup is for him."

Joshua stated as he scooped a spoonful and waited for it to cool. Yue glared defiantly at him, then forced out a few coughs.

"Look, I'm sick too!"

"Yeah, right."

Joshua retorted as he raised the spoonful towards Luthred who immediately leaned forward with his mouth open.

"Hei, drink it slowly or you'll burn yourself."

He warned, but it went unheeded as the boy's mouth closed over the whole spoon, only to pull away one split second later with a yelp, spewing soup down his shirt. Joshua sighed and passed the boy a cup of water while Yue wiped his face clean of the spill. After swallowing some water, the boy quickly opened his mouth again to be fed.

"Heheh, he's got an appetite."

"Yes, very much like someone I know."

Joshua replied to Yue as he continued to feed Luthred.

"Speaking of that, where's mine?"

The wolf-girl protested with a hint of annoyance.

He passed her a baked potato, which she held and regarded with disbelief.

"I didn't have time to make anything fancy, sorry about that."

Yue grimaced at the crude, unappetizing meal held in her hand, and sighed.

"Fine, I shall overlook this offence."

She consented, before devouring the potato faster than a regular human ought to be able to.

"My sincere gratitude, milady."

Joshua replied sarcastically. Luthred then chuckled, drawing the attention of the olive skinned man and his grandaunt. When he noticed their stares, his pale face lifted in a carefree grin.

"You remind me of parents. They're always arguing."

He admitted shyly. Joshua felt his face going even warmer than the boy's, and was thankful that his skin tone helped conceal it. But that didn't stop Yue from grinning slyly at him like she had caught him doing something illegal.

Once Luthred was full, Joshua returned the pot close to the fire to keep it warm. Yue had finished her seventh potato as well, and was so full that she felt drowsy.

"Here, drink this medicine."

Joshua urged, bringing a cup half-filled with water mixed an assortment of herbs he had crushed and mixed together. Luthred gingerly accepted the cup with a discontented grimace.

"Is it bitter?"

"I'm afraid so. But you'll get better fast if you drink."

Joshua replied with honesty. The boy stared sheepishly at the cup for a few seconds before bracing himself and drinking it bottoms up. Yue went 'ooh' in encouragement and patted the boy's head when he was done. Luthred smiled innocently, happy at being praised.

"If only she was as brave as you."

Joshua sighed while spying on Yue with one eye, only to have her stick her tongue out. The boy giggled, and before long his eyes started to droop. Yue helped him lay down on the bed. Within a minute he was fast asleep.

Yue called as Joshua returned to the desk to continue working.

"He didn't seem too sick… He'll make it, won't he?"

She asked with eyes filled with anxiety. After the briefest pause to collect his thoughts, Joshua turned to meet her eyes with a confident smile.

"Yes, I think he will."

Yue's happiness was so great that Joshua couldn't help but smile as well. That smile then turned into a deep frown when she lay down to sleep beside Luthred. It would be nice of her to keep him company as he worked through the night, but nope, she went straight to sleep.

With a heavy sigh, he went back to work.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Here, drink your medicine."

Joshua passed Luthred the cup of medicine after he had finished eating breakfast. The boy, who was sitting upright in bed, grimaced before drinking it as quickly as possible. Outside the window, the morning sky was bright, blue and cloudless.

"Ohoh, well done."

Yue praised, patting her grandnephew's back. She was sat on an extravagantly luxurious chair beside the bed, the kind carved right out of a hardwood tree trunk, then polished and varnished to shining perfection. It was probably worth more than the sum of everything Joshua and Yue owned, yet the wolf-girl sat cross-legged on it as if it were a common tavern chair.

"Now drink this, I think you'll like it."

Joshua handed Luthred a second cup after taking away the first. Even the 'cup' was actually a fine bronze goblet, which would fetch a generous price in the black market if he decided to smuggle it out.

The liquid within the cup was brownish with bits of debris floating on the surface. It had a sharp tang similar to a lemon, along with a thicker, sweeter smell. The boy took a tentative sip and his eyes widened in surprise. He then drank it all in one fluid motion.

"It's honey!"

He happily exclaimed while holding the cup out for a refill. Joshua confirmed that it was before fetching the even more expensive-looking silver jug on the desk.

"Drink as much as you want. It will help your sore throat."

"Hei, I want some honey too!"

Yue complained, pulled on Joshua's shirt, and hacked a few times.

"*cough* *cough*. Look, I'm sick!"

"You already had some, so no."

Joshua blankly refused. Earlier in the morning, Yue had woken up when she smelt the heated honey. She kept nagging for it until he gave in and gave her piece of honey comb to chew on.

"Hmpf, stingy miser."

Yue grumbled. Joshua chose to ignore her and proceed to check on Luthred's condition. The boy still had a fever and was weak with fatigue, but was otherwise much better than he had hoped for. The only thing that continued to worry him was the boy's lingering bouts of coughing, but compared to last night they were less frequent and much less intense.

A short while afterwards, Luthred became drowsy due to the medicine and went back to sleep. After dragging another chair to sit beside Yue, Joshua voiced his honest thoughts.

"You know, I don't think he has the plague."

Yue's ears twitched under her white furred cap as she turned to him with perplexity written all over her delicate face.

"Huh? But yesterday you said he did?"

"I know, and I think I was wrong. Do you remember what the symptoms of the plague are?"

The wolf-girl hummed to herself, amber eyes clouded in recollection.

"Weakness, nausea, vomiting, fever, rashes?"

"Exactly. Normally, a plague victim will be throwing up once every few hours, until they were thin like skeletons. He hasn't thrown up a single time."

Joshua stated. Yue nodded in understanding and agreement.

"Secondly, those are not rashes under his neck. They are self-inflicted scratch marks."

Her eyes widened at that, and peered closely at the red welts on her grandnephew's neck. Joshua finally offered his final argument.

"Lastly, he didn't drink any contaminated water. If he did, there should others becoming sick as well. But so far he and his caretaker are the only ones."

"But my sister described his caretaker's symptoms. They were all that of the plague were they not?"

Yue asked with a perplexed frown, prompting him to remind her.

"The plague doesn't spread easily from person to person. Maybe it can from a breastfeeding mother to her child, or if a sick person spits into your food, or if they-"

Yue raised a hand to interrupt him, her face contorted and her eyes cast aside in discomfort.

"I get your meaning. Then, what do you think is wrong with him?"

She asked of her grandnephew, who was sound asleep. Joshua hummed and stroked his hairless chin.

"I think he only caught a cold. And… Since he developed a bad cough from the incense, I think he has an allergy to smoke."

Yue stared at him with wide amber eyes.

"Are you certain?"

Those uncompromisingly hopeful eyes made him look away.

"I can't be absolutely certain, but at the very least I'm certain he doesn't have the plague."

The wolf-girl sighed deeply in relief as she stared fondly at her grandnephew.

"Thank goodness…"

Joshua smiled at her relief, before he yawned loud and wide.

"Oh, are you tired?"

"Mmm. I stayed awake all night to monitor his condition. Unlike someone I know."

Yue grinned without a hint of shame.

"You can sleep now, that bed is ridiculously huge for a single boy."

His eyes glanced over the queen size bed in agreement with her latter statement, but not with the former.

"I don't think it's appropriate for me to rest on a noble's bed."

The desk was cluttered with herbs and tools, with no space to even rest his head on. He then regarded the flat stone floor, which will undoubtedly be hard and cold, but not unfamiliar.

"Rest here, then."

Yue offering, patting her lap with a welcoming, unabashed smile.

Joshua felt his face become warm.

"That's a joke, right? Or is this a trap?"

The wolf-girl's brow twitched, and she hissed like a goose and pinched his cheek.

"Rest, now."

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

Joshua had to comply, he feared that otherwise she would stretch out his cheek to resemble a particular breed of dog. The left side of his face found itself resting on a soft and warm cloth surface, under which were a pair of roundish cushions. It felt more comfortable than any bed and more sleep inducing than any drug. Then again, he hadn't slept for over twenty four hours.

But what really made him drowsy was an inexplicably intoxicating scent. It was more exotic than a rare flower and stronger than a perfume, yet smelled distinctly beastlike. It called him to sleep like a lullaby.

"Then… I shall rest for a while."

Joshua mumbled as his eyes closed. Yue hummed in response and gently stroked his short dark hair. Ah, I never knew her hand was so small, yet felt so soft and gentle. He thought as his consciousness faded.

As morning turned into afternoon, Yue remained awake as the two males remained sleeping; one on the bed and other on her lap. Both of them looked so peaceful when asleep.

Her grandnephew, Luthred, had silver hair and light skin. Her companion, Joshua, had dark hair and olive colored skin. She gleefully noted that despite their differences in age and skin and hair color, both of them had the same unguarded expression when asleep. Several seconds later, her ears twitched, followed by a short rap on the door.

"You can come in."

She called, and the door opened. It was her niece, with the majordomo behind her who stopped short of entering the bedroom.

"Your grace, Lord Brent has ordered-"

"This is my son, majordomo. I will come here as and when I please."

Alda replied curtly before closing the door in the man's face.

"Hmpf, about time you came, I've got a lot to complain about."

Yue stated grumpily, yet retained a quiet tone. Her niece, who was in reality two decades younger yet looked a decade older than her aunt, smiled in a placating manner before approaching quietly, having noticed her son sleeping soundly on the bed and Joshua on her aunt's lap.

"How is Luthred?"

Yue relayed Joshua had told her. It took some time since she could not explain as well as he could, but eventually Alda understood the main points.

"So… My son became more ill because of the priests?"

Alda stated with disbelief. Yue nodded with a wry grin.

"Ironic, isn't it?"

"Very much so."

Alda replied, exasperated. Her expression then brightened tenfold as she gently stroked her son's forehead.

"That means that Luthred will be fine, won't he?"

Yue hummed the affirmative. Alda then turned to regard Yue, whose own hand was on the young man's brow. Her gray eyes gleamed, while a mischievous smile crept into her features.

"You seem happy frolicking with a boy more than half your age."

Yue shrugged sheepishly as she looked down at her partner who was sleeping peacefully. Not the flustered reaction Alda had expected.

"Maybe I am just jealous?"

Yue replied before stroking Joshua's hair the same way Alda did to her son.

Alda chuckled lightly, but noted the ambiguity in that sentence. By jealous, did her aunt mean being a mother, or…

"Does that mean you've moved on?"

Yue's hand froze over Joshua's hair, along with her expression.

"I have my sources, particularly with the Rowen Guild."

Alda answered before Yue could ask. Her aunt heaved a deep sigh.

"I wonder what else mother has told."

Yue muttered while conjuring a mental image of her mother, and become even more frustrated at the mere imagination of her daring, know-it-all grin.

"Are you-"

"You should already know my answer to that question."

Alda's playful expression faltered, and she regarded her aunt with sympathy. For all her outward bluster, Yue was at heart a kindly soul that was easily hurt. Exactly the same as their mother.

"Even with this one. Our partnership is one fated to be short. That's why I must smile as much as I can, for both our sakes."

Yue continued softly, before continuing to stroke Joshua's course dark hair. Judging by his breathing rhythm and body temperature, he was probably in deep sleep, and would not wake even if she were to pinch his face. She was tempted to do just that, if only her niece wasn't there.

Alda wanted to refute her aunt, but ultimately could not. She and Yue were different, after all. She had no right to lecture her aunt on matters she herself cannot comprehend. As much as it pained to see Yue smile so happily yet so full of sadness.

It is so warm…

When was the last time Joshua felt so relaxed and so at ease? It must have been a long time ago in his home, where grass fields were rare and deserts were vast.

That said, he didn't live in the oasis or the desert. His house was an intricately designed palace with dozens of tall spires and high ceilings. The sandstone walls were pale and rough, the floor was warm during the day and cool during the night, and if one were to walk barefoot they could feel tiny grains of sand under their feet.

But home never smelt like this. This smell… It reminded him of a summer forest. He could almost see it, bright sunlight streaming through the canopy of branches and leaves, where the birds and insects played a one way game of tag.

Yet that wasn't all. That was just the lingering scent carried by another, more dominant one. An image of something huge and majestic entered his mind, a being both wise and benevolent. At the same time, it gave off a mischievous yet majestic aura.

He could only think of one name for it. As he thought that, Joshua opened his eyes to notice the person who owned that name staring down at him.

"Ohoh, you're finally awake."

"Yeah… I'm awake."

Joshua replied, feeling a little awkward as he pulled himself upright. He looked outside the window to see the thumb sized sun halfway under the horizon. The sky was halfway between blue and black, and a few stars could already be seen.

He turned his attention to Luthred, the last person in the room besides Yue and him. The boy was still fast asleep, and his complexity had improved. Save for coughing lightly once in a while, the boy looked healthy.

He then turned to his partner. She was holding her tail in one hand and grooming it with the other. It looked finer than the finest piece of fur that any fur merchant would hope to buy. The only problem was that the demand for wolf fur was nonexistent, regardless of how fine its quality was.

Every strand of her tail fur was straight and perfectly aligned with the rest, similar to Yue's own long wheat colored hair. Its density was just right, neither too bushy nor too sparse; not too course or too thin.

Yue noticed him staring, for she looked up and showed off her tail by waving it from side to side in a motion similar to a waving hand.

"Tis a wonderful job, won't you say?"

"Indeed, it's a lovely tail."

Joshua replied honestly, yet felt odd after saying it. He couldn't imagine complimenting anyone else that way. Yue was visibly delighted by that.

"I spent the whole day grooming it over you while you slept."

So that was why he felt so warm, and why there were strands of fur stuck to his clothes.

After brushing off the fur stuck to him, Joshua got up and approached the desk. By tomorrow morning the boy's fever should break. The only thing left to treat would be the coughing.

"Hmm? You've still got work to do?"

Yue asked. Joshua hummed an affirmative as he resumed grinding at the pestle and mortar.

"I'm making enough cough mixture for him to drink every morning and night for the next week. Not only that, he still has to drink your favorite medicine in the evening."

Yue's face immediately scrunched up when he mentioned it.

"Urgh. I'm sure he can make do without that foul thing."

He turned to frown at her as if she had said something absurd.

"Nonsense. Sure it tastes bad, but it contains all the nutrients a person needs."

"What is it, anyway?"

Yue inquired before getting up to stand beside his seated form to observe. Seeing her interesting in his work for the first time made Joshua excited, and he picked up samples of each grounded herb to show her.

"The main ingredients are garlic, ginger, and ginseng. These are great for general health, not hard to find and easy to grow."

"Ohoh, so that's why it smells foul."

Yue commented as a matter of fact after sniffing all three with a soured expression. He did refute since she was correct.

"The secondary ingredients are turmeric, passion flowers, peppermint, and chamomile. These are good for general body functions, like the stomach and bowels."

"Ah, that explains the terribly taste, they're not compatible."

"After grinding, I mix them in water, then add the juices of beetroot and celery."

"Urgh, no wonder it's so hard to actually drink."

"And finally, since the palace has them, I added cordyceps, thistle, hawthorn and a few other things."

"All of which makes it even worse, no doubt."

"… You've been a wonderful listener."

Joshua finally protested bitterly.

"Why thank you, I get that a lot."

Yue shot back. The forty something year old wolf-girl and the twenty something year old human glared at each other in discontent. Yue was the first to break that staring contest by snickering, and Joshua followed her lead by chuckling.

"Ah, we must seem so foolish."

Yue sighed, shaking her head exaggeratedly.

After that, Joshua prepared the medicines while Yue prepared dinner under his instruction. Sometime after the sun had fully set, Luthred finally woke up hungry.

"Can I have bread and meat as well?"

The boy asked while Yue ladled porridge into three bowls. The fact that he has appetite for solid food is a good sign of recovery, Joshua noted before answering.

"Now yet. By tomorrow night you should be well enough to eat proper food, so be patient until then."

The boy pouted with discontent, but nodded obediently. The three of them ate dinner in relative silence. After Luthred drank the medicine followed by the cough mixture, he went back to sleep.

"I swear your medicine is also a sleeping drug."

Yue commented as she poked the boy's nose, which evoked no reaction.

"It has passion flowers, which are also a sedative. I also added a little valerian, which are said to be used by alchemists to make sleeping potions."

"Hmm? No wonder the church calls alchemists magicians. Making sleeping potions from plants sounds something from beyond the realm of man."

"Herbalists do the same thing, but no one calls it witchcraft. Alchemists get their reputation because work with metals and minerals. But once you know more about it, you'll realize it's not really magic."

Yue accepted his explanation calmly with a nod. She sat down and was about to casually start grooming her tail again when she turned towards him.

"Ooh, that's right. I nearly forgot to tell you something."

"Hmm, what is it?"

"My niece visited while you were asleep."

"I see. What was the reason for her visit?"

He replied, a little embarrassed that someone caught him sleeping on Yue, but also relieved. Now that the boy's mother had seen her son recovering, there should be less hostility directed towards him and Yue now.

"She said that tomorrow morning a bunch of herbalists, apothecaries and surgeons will come to examine the boy. We will be taken outside until they are done."

Joshua's immediate reaction to that was suspicion. If something goes wrong in his absence, or if their intent was sabotage, the boy's life may very well be in danger. Yue sensed his trepidation, and added.

"Don't worry. She says they can be trusted. A little dull witted and overcautious, but not malicious."

"Oh… Ok then."

He replied, feeling somewhat silly for being paranoid.

"So what do you think?"

Yue inquired of her grandnephew. Joshua hummed before answering.

"Well, he's much better than yesterday. The fever is almost gone and the coughing is less. He should be ok."

"She also mentioned something else."

He waited for her to continue, but she did not. So he prompted.

"What is it?"

"They will also be evaluating you. She said that if all goes well, they might offer you a post in the palace."

Joshua did not have to look at his reflection to know his expression. Being offered a post in the palace was the highest honor anyone can hope for, since even commoners employed by the royal family were on par with the lowest ranked nobles.

Not only that, the life of a palace staff was luxurious, and the pay many times higher. Only the best were ever given the chance to serve in the palace.

"You seem happy."

Yue commented. Joshua rubbed his face to wipe away his expression.

"Well, yeah. It's a fantastic thing, to work in a palace."

He said, trying to contain his excitement. For fifteen years, he had been a slave, a mercenary, and finally a wanderer. This was like a dream come true.

"Wherever I go, people become prejudiced because of my skin. However if I work in the palace, people will recognize that I am skilled in what I do. Though I still believe the prejudice won't go away entirely."

Joshua continued realistically.

"Well… I'm glad you're happy."

Yue sighed. Sensing something amiss, Joshua turned only to face her back. He called her name, but she did not respond.

Joshua frowned. She didn't sound angry or upset, and in any case why would she be against this? Just then, Yue half turned to regard him with a gaze which he hadn't seen in a while. It was the look of one who was utterly afraid of being alone. Moments later, a thought hit him.

No, he must be mistaken, right? But there was no mistaking that look.

"Yue… Are you-?"

At that, the wolf-girl shot up from the chair.

"I'm going to sleep, goodnight."

She stated and crawled into bed with Luthred. Joshua wanted dearly to finish his question, but somehow felt that even if he did, she won't answer him. Since that was the case, all he could do was grimace and go back to the desk.

Outside, the night sky was starless due to thick clouds. Inside, the bedroom was well lit due to the burning fireplace. The sharp contrast served to sharpen his mental awareness.

And so rather than working, Joshua spent the whole night deep in thought.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

When morning came, Yue and her grandnephew Luthred woke up moments after the other. At that point Joshua, who had been awake the whole night, went to prepare breakfast. Yue did not respond to his greeting of good morning, avoided eye contact, and ignored him even as they ate. Even the boy noted the tension between them, but remained silent.

A few hours after finishing breakfast, Yue turned towards the door and murmured.

"They're here."

Moments later, a crisp rap echoed from the door. Joshua went to open it while Yue explained to her grandnephew what was about to happen.

It was the majordomo, and behind him stood three men and two women of varying ages and uniforms. From their expression, posture and the design of their clothes, he guessed they were senior members of the palace staff that were assigned to examine Luthred. Judging by the thick scent of medicine surrounding them, they were all medical practitioners of one kind or another.

The majordomo's pudgy face stretched into a thin smile before dipping his head.

"Lord Brent has ordered an examination on Master Luthred, as well as an evaluation your workmanship. You and Lady Yue are to follow me to a waiting area in the meantime."

The majordomo stated bluntly. The disgruntled yet obedient tone he used while saying 'lady' indicated he had recently learned of Yue's connection to the royal family.

"Understood. My notes are on the desk."

Joshua replied before turning to call for Yue, who had undoubtedly heard everything. After saying farewell her grandnephew, she went to join him.

The majordomo then gestured at the palace staff to enter. The five greeted Luthred reverently, stepped into the young master's bedroom and closed the door behind them. At that point, the majordomo led the two down a floor, crossed a wide hallway, took a right turn at a cross intersection and brought them into a small but well decorated waiting room.

In the middle of the room were two cushioned chairs standing opposite each other with an ornate round table in between them. On the table were two empty silver chalices and a glass jug of thinned wine. A small bookshelf containing several leather-bound volumes stood in the corner; a single tall glass window looked out into the garden.

After informing them that he will return, the majordomo left. While Yue went to sniff and taste the wine, Joshua examined the bookshelf for any interesting titles. Sadly, all of them were romanced tales about valiant knights, or chronicles about ancient kingdoms. While he was browsing, Yue called quietly.

"You…"

Joshua turned to face her, but she was standing facing the table in such a manner that all he could see was her small back and slightly hunched shoulders, a seemingly frail and fragile frame.

"It would be great if you get to work here."

That was all she said in a quiet yet supportive tone. Despite the numerous things he wanted to say, Joshua replied simply.

"Yeah, it would be."

"Lord Brent will now see you."

It was around midafternoon when the majordomo returned to announce that. The man's lack of tone and dull facial expression made Joshua suspicious.

"Why? And how is Luthred?"

The majordomo frowned heavily in contempt at the informal way which he referred to the young lord.

"Master Luthred is well. And it would be wise for you to learn your place, commoner. Do not question our lord's will."

When a noble asks, a peasant obeys. That was the unspoken rule.

"Fine, take us to him then."

Yue snapped. The older man sniffed and turned on his heels without waiting for them to follow. This time, he brought them to the ground floor where the floors were made from marble, and echoed with each step. After a while, the majordomo brought them outside a pair of large doors that anyone would assume will lead into a large, grand audience hall. The doors were twice the height of a regular person and had two heavily armored sentries standing on either side.

"This is the main audience chamber. Beyond this door, Lord Brent, Lady Alda and several senior palace officials are present, along with members of the church. Reminder where you stand."

The majordomo informed them in a severe tone, then turned to face the doors and called out in a loud, booming voice that did not suit his age and size.

"Lady Yue, and Mister Joshua!"

As soon as he called out, the palace guards pushed open the large doors with mighty effort. Yue and Joshua were ushered to enter alone.

The audience chamber was huge, and the ceiling so high that it would take four men standing on each other's shoulders to reach it.

As they walked, their every step echoed sharply on the white polished marble floor. On their left, the wall was replaced by tall transparent glass windows that reached the ceiling. Beyond the glass was a vast and well-tended garden, followed by numerous prestigious buildings of the inner city, and finally the inner city's tall curtain walls.

More impressively, the domed ceiling served as a massive painting of a large fortress on a hill with a golden crown hovering over it. Surrounding the fortress were smaller cities and towns, and further out were coasts and border lines. It was a map of the nation of Trenni with the capitol in the very middle.

At the end of the audience chamber, the flat marble floor became steps leading up to a raised dais. A dozen middle aged to old men in priestly robes stood at the bottom edge of the dais, their expressions grim.

On the dais were half a dozen people dressed in fine livery. Among the six, Joshua recognized Lady Alda and Lord Brent, who were standing on either side of a vacant golden throne. The other four were middle aged men, likely high ranked members of the palace, stood flanking the two nobles.

"Come forward."

Lord Brent ordered in a calm yet authoritative tone. Joshua and Yue approached to stand at the bottom of the dais. It took them a surprisingly large number of steps to cross the chamber, amplified by the fact that each step echoed loudly on the marble floor.

Joshua noted the apprehensive looks on most of the palace officials on the raised dais. Only Lady Alda and Lord Brent had neutral expressions. By contrast, the priests standing nearby were openly scowling at the two, but interestingly, were also casting suspicious glances at Lord Brent.

"Reverend fathers, gathered members of the court, allow me to introduce Miss Yue, a representative of Ruvenheigen's Rowen Guild, as well as my wife's distant relative. And this is her companion, whom I assigned to treat my son."

In the brief pause that Lord Brent allowed to descend after delivering the introductions, he noted the priests throwing sharp glances at the olive skinned man. There was more at stake here than the petty pride of whose methods worked best, this was a political battle between the church and the Kingdom of Trenni, though neither Yue nor Joshua were aware of it yet.

He then nodded to the man standing beside him, who raised a heavy looking golden staff he had been holding and struck the ground with its base. The dull yet heavy sound resounded through the chamber.

"In the name of the king and by the grace of God, this court is now in session!"

He announced. After thanking him, Lord Brent turned back to the two commoners and the six clergymen standing at the base of the dais.

"The apothecarians have checked on my son. He is recovering well, and is not in danger."

He directed that statement to the priests, whose expressions turned to clear surprise. That was a given, since the last time they saw the boy, he was gravely ill and none of their prayers were working.

"They have also examined Joshua's work and determined it to be genuine. Additionally, they say that his work is extraordinary."

Lord Brent continued. Joshua heard the priests grumble quietly to each other, and many of them threw suspicious glances his way. More importantly, he noted Yue's concealed ears twitch while she frowned heavily.

"Because of this, it has been decided that the thousand Lumione reward will be given to Miss Yue, who represents the Rowen Guild."

Lord Brent concluded. At that point, Joshua's eyes were wide open in surprise. He wasn't told that there was a monetary reward, and a thousand Lumione was an outrageously huge sum.

"This is an outrage!"

One of the older priests finally shouted, the thin veins on his sweaty forehead bulged and pulsing.

"That money rightly belongs to the church for its services! Has my lord forgotten our days and nights spent praying over the young master?"

The other priests eagerly voiced their agreement. Lord Brent raised an arm to silence them.

"Reverent fathers. On the evening I asked you to step aside, you claimed that my son's time is near. Yet under the care of this man he has recovered. Shouldn't it be fair to judge that he is the reason my son is well?"

"Milord, despite sending us off, we continued to pray ceaselessly!"

The priest insisted. Judging by the way the others remain silent as he spoke, it was safe to assume that he was the leader among them.

"We continued praying with greater fervency for God to spare the child, and he has answered! It is a sin to doubt the servants of God, my lord!"

A flare of anger rose up Lord Brent's chest. He took one step forward and was about to retort when a firm hand grasped onto the hem of his sleeve. It was his wife, Alda. She firmly shook her head, hard gray eyes warning him to not be provoked.

What should I do? He asked without speaking. They have been married for more than ten years, and in that time they have learned to guess what the other was trying to say just by reading their facial expressions.

In response, Alda smiled and stepped forward.

"Reverend fathers, I understand your displeasure."

Alda started as she stared down at the priests, who looked distrustful of her. These were the times where the church preached for women to be obedient lambs of their husbands. To have a woman speak to them as their superior was an offense to their pride and custom.

"Indeed, it would be unfair to neglect the servants of God."

She continued. At that, the priests nodded with blind enthusiasm.

"However, it is also unfair to neglect those who helped save my son. Since it would be unfair to favor one side or the other, would you consider a compromise?"

At that, the lead priest's frown deepened.

"What is it do you propose, milady?"

Alda smiled, it was an exact replica of the smile Hans would wear.

"I propose splitting the reward evenly. Each party shall receive five hundred Lumione."

A simple compromise, with no strings attached. To refuse would mean they were being petty over money, to accept would be to swallow their pride. But by refusing they will also lose standing with the nobles, while by accepting they can claim partial credit. In short, there was really only one option for them. Alda's husband thought to himself, amazed by his wife's cunning mind.

The priests' expressions remained reluctant, but they too realized that pushing any further would only cause more attrition in their already fragile diplomatic relations.

"Hmm… Very well, we accept."

The leading priest sighed, as if they had agreed to a great ransom.

"Wonderful. Bearers, bring in the gold."

Alda called. Moments later, four servants entered from a side door. Each pair carried a medium sized wooden chest and placed them on the middle step of the dais, a symbolic display of the giver presenting to the recipient.

"Please confirm its contents."

Alda instructed, and the chests were opened for all to witness. Within the chest were rows of gold coins neatly stacked one on top of the other. Joshua found it hard to swallow. This was the first time he had seen so much money in one place. Yue on the other hand remained calm, and he noticed her ears continuing to twitch under the white fur cap she wore.

"Are both parties satisfied with the contents?"

Alda asked of them. The priests reluctantly agreed that they were.

"On behalf of the Rowan Guild, I have something to say."

Yue suddenly spoke up for the first time, drawing everyone's attention. Joshua almost fainted there and then. What on earth could Yue be thinking? They were standing in the midst of giants waging their own wars, the wise course would be to follow the flow and hope to come out unscathed.

"Of course, what is it?"

Alda wore a frown as she replied, since everything was progressing smoothly so far. If her aunt misspoke now, it would only drive more dissent between the church and the nobility. Yue bowed once to her, and then turned to the priests.

"On behalf of the Rowan Guild, I would like to apologize for all the inconveniences we have put you through. As a gesture of goodwill, I would like to offer this five hundred Lumione as a donation from the guild."

Nearly everyone in the room gasped in shock at this unexpected turn of events. The priests were the last to recover. The leader among them coughed before bowing, visibly pleased.

"We humbly accept this donation, and will inform his holiness that the Rowen Guild holds true the teachings of Saint Rowen of Aquent."

A moment of silence passed in the audience chamber as every party present witnessed this remarkable scene between the young female representative of a merchant guild and the senior members of the church.

After that, the priests thanked Lord Brent and Lady Alda once more before taking their leave. As one, they turned and marched out of the audience chamber while the four servants trailed after them with the two Lumione filled chests.

At the same time, Lord Brent dismissed the palace officials. Soon, only Lady Alda and Lord Brent remained along with Yue and Joshua. They got down from the dais to stand in front of them.

"As a father, I thank you for saving my son."

Lord Brent said. Beside him, his wife nodded graciously in agreement. The nobleman then continued.

"We have received the apothecarians report. It is their recommendation that you should stay and work alongside them in the palace."

In other words, he was being offered a post in the palace. Joshua turned to Yue and saw that her head was lowered. He secretly smiled and turned to the nobleman.

"I'm sorry, my lord, but I must refuse."

He replied, and noticed Yue whip towards him. From the corner of his eyes, he saw that her expression was one of utter disbelief. The nobleman himself was surprised by his answer. Only Alda looked as if she had expected it.

As a man who acknowledged talent and valued good character, Lord Brent was about to try and convince the young man to stay when Alda touched his arm to draw his attention. She shook her head with a slight smile, in other words telling him it was futile.

And so, the nephew of King Adrian the second turned back to Joshua with a heavy frown, and sighed in disappointment.

"Very well then…"

"Aunt, that was unexpected of you. I can only imagine how Hans will react when he finds out you donated five hundred Lumione to the church."

Alda commented to Yue with a knowing look, the expression an older sibling would wear after catching a younger sibling in an act of mischief.

"I'm sure he will forgive me after hearing that his nephew is safe."

Yue's eyes narrowed and drifted towards the window, which incidentally faced the direction towards Ruvenheigen. Those eyes then returned to Alda.

"There are also two more things I'd like to say. One of them is about those Lumione, and the other is Trenni's standing with the church."

Finally, it was Alda's turn to freeze. She woman simply paused like a statue, even her breathing had stopped. Out of concern, Lord Brent tapped her hand. A few seconds later, she unfroze. At that point, Yue laughed so loud it echoed through the chamber, and if anyone were standing outside they could probably hear her. When she was done, she exhaled with mirth.

"I won't ask about the money. As for the church, I'll ask Hans about it."

She stated. Alda nodded in defeat.

"My thanks… Will you stay a while longer?"

The wolf-girl shook her head before replying.

"Your brother in Ruvenheigen is probably expecting us. So we would like to leave as soon as possible."

Alda seemed mildly disappointed, but agreed that Yue's course of action was the correct one.

"Then make sure to say farewell to Luthred. Your grandnephew has grown very fond of you."

Yue sniffed with pride, then half turned to Joshua.

"That's because I'm lovable. Am I not?"

It was around late afternoon when Joshua and Yue were back on the road, heading towards Ruvenheigen. It foretold of a clear evening and night, judging by the cloudless blue skies for as far as the eye could see. As for Castle Trenni, it was far behind them.

"Even that stingy miser of a nephew of mine won't complain about the money when he sees what goods we bring."

Yue stated positively as she looked back from the driver seat.

Underneath the tarp cover, the wagon carried crates of silverware and ceramic dishware that while were not worth five hundred Lumione, were still worth a small fortune. Complimentary gifts, as Alda had put.

"Hmm, quite true."

"I've been meaning to ask, why weren't you upset about the coins, hmm?"

Yue asked Joshua. When Yue declared she was giving away the money, he had remained silent the whole time. Joshua smiled wryly before replying.

"The Lumione coins were fakes, weren't they?"

He regarded her with his own cunning smile. Yue blinked in surprise.

"Goodness, how did you know?"

"Your ears were twitching the whole time when they brought out the chests. I was afraid someone would point that out."

The wolf-girl uttered an 'ooh' while feeling her ears, but didn't seem too bothered.

Whenever counterfeit gold coins were discovered, they would either end up being melted into new currency or kept as fool's currency. A fool's currency was in short a scamming tactic used by those in power, by paying their debts with counterfeit currency.

While it will not work in dire circumstances, such as paying the ransom of a captured prince or bribing an opposing army, in small transactions it was not unheard of. That was one reason one of the reasons why merchants were wary of doing business with the nobility.

"Wait… Does that mean Lady Alda intended to pay the Rowan Guild in false currency!?"

Joshua nearly jumped out of the driver's box with shock as he exclaimed that. In his mind, one word came forth. Backstabbing.

"Nope. When she visited while you were asleep on my lap, she mentioned it to me."

Joshua tried to fit that information to make sense of what had transpired, but only became more confused.

"… Why would she do that? And wait, your niece looked ready to faint when you mentioned the coins earlier. What was that about?"

Joshua wondered while frowning. Yue shook her head and sighed.

"You're diving too deep when the truth can be found in shallow waters. Basically, she was warning me not to accept the money even though we earned it."

Joshua considered that for a while, but still found the noblewoman's shocked reaction queer. If it had nothing to do with the coins, then it must be the second part.

"Trenni's standing with the church?"

Yue gave a lopsided smirk in reply.

"Tis' still a guess right now. Let's ask Hans when we return to Ruvenheigen. And what about you? Don't you have something to explain to me?"

"Oh? Do I now?"

Joshua vaguely replied, and grunted when a sharp elbow slammed into his ribs, making him lurch sideways. Their chestnut horse whinnied and veered slightly following the sharp pull of the reins, and threw a disgruntled look at its driver.

"Geez, I was only joking."

Joshua groaned, messaging his ribs.

"I want to know why you refused. Didn't you say it was great if you could work in the palace?"

Yue demanded while staring at him with those sharp amber eyes.

"Well, it's a little embarrassing."

He muttered, unable those red hot eyes.

"Nonetheless, I want to know."

She insisted. After a while, he turned to Yue.

"Because… I want to continue travelling with you."

Her expression lifted, but only a little.

"Is… Is that all? Surely there must be more. Come now, don't be shy!"

She interrogated, her tail swishing quite loudly under her cloak.

"I… I enjoy being in your company, and I'd like to travel with you for a while longer. Is that alright?"

Joshua's face felt so warm that he won't be surprised if the air around his head simmered from the heat. When Yue did not reply, he nervously turned towards her.

Her expression was… Difficult to decipher. On one hand, she was smiling with bliss, yet her eyes looked as if they concealed a terribly heavy burden. She then leaned into his shoulder, making his heart skip a beat. She felt so soft that he was tempted to embrace her.

"I see…"

Her voice was so soft that it could be mistaken for the sound of a breeze.

"I'll be in your care for a little longer then…"

The same words she said while they were in Ruvenheigen, yet devoid of the cheer she had then. Why was that? Joshua wanted dearly to ask, but felt that even if he did, she will not reply.

And so with those heavy questions in mind, he continued driving the wagon towards Ruvenheigen, towards the future where the answers can be found.


	11. Epilogue Afterword

Epilogue

It was nighttime. Several hours had passed since the evening bell toll which signaled the end of a day's work, and most of the business districts within the city of Ruvenheigen was covered in darkness.

There were strict laws regarding the use of candles during the night. Unattended candles were notorious for causing fires, and since nearly every building was made out of wood, once a fire caught hold, it was almost guaranteed to spread. More than one city had been ravaged by such a disaster.

As such, only a few premises were allowed to light candles throughout the night. The Rowan Trading guild house was one such place. Even so, only a select few individuals were allowed to actually light it. As the branch manager, Hans Lawrence was obviously one such individual.

The tall man with short silver hair sat behind his desk, gently tugging on his trimmed beard whilst reading the short letter made from high quality parchment in his other hand. There was a hint of a smile on his face.

"What does it say?"

Neil Landt, who used to be his apprentice and was now of his most trusted business associate and friend, asked.

"Exactly as I had hoped for. Alda's son has recovered."

Hans replied triumphantly. His ex-apprentice and friend sighed with relief.

"Thank goodness!"

"Indeed. Not only that, they were involved in fool's currency. One thousand Lumione worth."

Neil's brows rose with surprise, but that quickly diminished.

"Having a thousand counterfeit Lumione would be lucrative. However, getting them into Ruvenheigen by wagon would be… Expensive."

Hans laughed out loud at that unique word choice. Smuggling a thousand counterfeit Lumione, which would require several chests, would mean bribing half the city council to turn a blind eye, while making sure the church and other guilds remain unaware. By the end of it, they would only actually bring in one or two hundred Lumione worth of counterfeits. In short, it was not impossible, but so non-profitable that it wasn't worth it.

Hans exhaled with mirth before putting aside the letter. He then reached into a drawer and brought out two sealed letters.

"Have these delivered to the herbalist and apothecary guild."

"Oh, were you that confident in Mister Joshua?"

Neil inquired while accepting them.

You don't?"

Hans craftily turned the tables, and Neil raised his hands in defeat.

"Hahah. Well, let's just say I took a gamble, and thoroughly prepared for it. You know what I mean, yes?"

"Of course."

Neil agreed full heartedly. As merchants, everything about their trade was a gamble. When to buy or sell, what goods to deal with, where should the goods be bought or sold, and to whom should the goods be bought or sold to. None of these were set in stone. The most profitable trades are often the most unpredictable, so a merchant needed luck as well as skill in order to profit.

Hans had gambled his and the guild's reputation when he sent them to Castle Trenni knowing that Alda's son was ill. As such, it was only fitting that he prepared for the consequences of his gamble, regardless whether it succeeded or failed. It was a trait of an accomplished merchant.

Neil was about to turn towards the door, but noticed another letter on Han's desk, right next to the man's left hand. After spending eight years apprenticing under the man and another ten years working with him, he knew that meant the letter was very important.

Hans must have noticed his gaze, for he picked up the letter in a gesture that could be interpreted either as aloof or hesitant, and glanced briefly at it.

"It's from the capitol branch."

Hans muttered. That tone alone was enough for Neil, whose mind raced with the new information.

"Should I put the contingency plans into action?"

The manager nodded once. Perhaps Hans was restless, for he had the sudden urge to move his legs. He compromised by standing and walking towards the window to look down the stone paved street. Other than the odd drunkard stumbling back from the bar, the few pedestrians resembled creeping shadows.

"Ruvenheigen has been peaceful for over two hundred years. Seems like that is about to change."

Afterword

First off, thank you very much for reading this story. It's been awhile, but I hope you enjoyed it.

I wanted to use this volume to provide more background about the world and how it runs, and some of the conflicts it is currently dealing with. One of them is the plague, inspired by the Black Death plague. The other is the disagreement between monarchy and the church, similar to King Henry VIII and the Roman Catholic Church, which I'd like to build on in the next volume.

I just found out that spaces and asterisks are deleted, so I can't break up sections to indicate a time lapse or a change of scene… can anyone recommend an alternative?

Sadly, I'm no longer a student, so the time I'll have to write will be less compared to before… I can't promise anything, but I do hope that I'll keep writing. Many thanks to all those who provided positive encouragements, and I hope to see you guys next time.

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